Washington (United States) (AFP) – US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that negotiators were in the “final throes” of talks for a peace deal in the Middle East, after Iran and Israel halted fresh hostilities that threatened to reignite the months-long war. Trump has repeatedly said that a peace agreement with Tehran is imminent, but diplomacy has stalled and the two sides have traded fire despite a ceasefire in place since April 8.
Iran and Israel “were going back and forth and now they both agreed through me to stop and we’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal,” the US leader told reporters on his return from an NBA Finals game. Asked whether it would be a matter of days or weeks, he said it would take “two or three days”. Tehran has repeatedly stated any deal should include Lebanon — where Israel has been pressing its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah — and fired missiles at Israel on Sunday. That prompted Israeli retaliation, despite US pressure for restraint. Iran fired another salvo before announcing it was ceasing military action, and hours later Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the “fire on that front is contained”.
Tehran said on Monday it would attack again if Israel persisted with its strikes in Lebanon, while Netanyahu warned in turn that should Iran “make the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force”. Earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz insisted that the campaign in Lebanon would carry on regardless and said Israel would strike the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut in retaliation for each attack on northern Israel by the militant group. Trump, who has reportedly grown increasingly exasperated with Netanyahu, had earlier urged both sides to stop “shooting” and said that “final negotiations” towards peace would proceed “subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way”.
The Israeli premier, though, said in a televised statement he had told Trump that “Israel has a full right to self-defence, and we are exercising it as required.” According to Axios, Israel was preparing for a major wave of strikes on Iran before Trump personally called Netanyahu and urged him to stop. “I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon,'” Trump told Axios. US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Monday that while the United States and Israel shared interests, their positions did not always align. “The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests,” Vance said. “But we also have some situations where our interests diverge.”
– Deadly strikes in Lebanon –
Iran fired nearly 30 missiles at Israel, according to the Israeli military, while Israel struck military sites in the Islamic republic. No casualties were reported in either Iran or Israel following the exchange. But violence continued in southern Lebanon, where Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people on Monday, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli military said projectiles had been launched towards troops operating in southern Lebanon, with some intercepted and another landing near soldiers without causing casualties. It later said a “suspicious aerial target” from Yemen had also been intercepted.
– Calm in Tehran –
Despite fears of renewed conflict, Tehran appeared relatively calm on Monday, with the city’s cafe terraces crowded. Traffic was lighter than usual for a weekday and queues formed at petrol stations. Maryam, 41, an accountant, described “a sense of uncertainty and confusion.” “You don’t know if there’s going to be a war, nor do you know if the peace agreement will last,” she said. In Israel’s Tel Aviv, meanwhile, residents again headed to shelters as sirens sounded. “I hope it will be short, but you can never know,” said Jonathan Ariel, 30. “Last time we thought it would be short and then it was a month,” he said.
Iranian media reported early Tuesday that Tehran’s international airport — closed during the missile exchanges — had reopened, allowing flights carrying hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to land. The conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. Oil prices were down Tuesday after spiking more than five percent early the previous day, before paring their gains.
– Still ‘at the negotiating table’ –
The exchange of fire between Iran and Israel came at a critical moment for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict involving mediator Pakistan. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei warned at a press conference in Tehran on Monday that diplomacy was continuing but could be affected by the fighting. As he was speaking at the foreign ministry, a huge explosion shook the building, followed by repeated explosions believed to be from air defence systems, an AFP reporter said.
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran to deliver what he said was a “special letter” to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iranian state television. He has since returned to Pakistan, an official Pakistani source said on Monday. Iranian President Masoud Pezehskian posted on X that Tehran was still “at the negotiating table.”
© 2024 AFP
