President Donald Trump claims a nuclear deal with Iran is imminent, while Tehran rejects the reports, labeling them a Washington “wish list” amid rising regional tensions.
Negotiations and Divergent Narratives
Donald Trump announced that Iran has agreed to never possess nuclear weapons and that a war-ending deal is “very possible,” citing productive discussions in the Oval Office over the last 24 hours. However, Iran has not confirmed these claims.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told the ISNA agency that Tehran is “familiarizing itself with the US proposal” and communicating its position through Pakistani mediators. However, an Iranian official explicitly called the reports of a near-agreement a Washington “wish list” and warned that if the US fails to make necessary concessions, Iran will provide a “severe response.”
Trump has left himself an opening on both sides, warning that if Iran does not agree to the deal, bombings will return at a “significantly higher level of intensity” than during Operation Epic Fury. Simultaneously, he assured that the 30-day deadline is “flexible” and that there is no actual final deadline.
Attack on Iranian Tanker
Alongside diplomacy, Washington demonstrated that Iran’s maritime blockade is not merely a declaration. US Central Command reported that American forces fired upon and immobilized the Iranian tanker M/T Hasna in the Gulf of Oman as it attempted to reach an Iranian port. After multiple warnings from Navy aircraft, the tanker was struck with weapons, stripping it of its ability to maneuver. “Hasna is no longer sailing to Iran,” CENTCOM stated on social media.
In the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, between 1,000 and 1,550 ships with approximately 20,000 to 22,000 sailors remain stuck. Although Trump announced a pause in “Project Freedom”—a plan to escort ships through the strait—analysts assess that no military plan will resolve this stalemate without an agreement with Iran.
Ceasefire in Lebanon Only in Name
Amidst the Iranian negotiations, a new escalation in Lebanon went almost unnoticed. The BBC reported that “this is a ceasefire only in name,” as Israel continues airstrikes in the south, killing over one hundred people, including civilians, in recent days. On Tuesday evening, Israel struck Beirut for the first time in weeks, targeting a commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.
Hezbollah has remained active, attacking Israeli positions in southern Lebanon and claiming to respond to ceasefire violations by the Israeli side. Lebanon reported four dead and five wounded in an attack on the city of Zilaya.