Israel-Lebanon ceasefire begins as Trump says Iran deal is ‘very close’

A ten-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel has taken effect, while President Donald Trump said the next round of US-Iran talks could happen as soon as this weekend, fueling hopes that the war with Iran may be approaching its end.

Mr Trump said Iran had proposed not possessing nuclear weapons for more than 20 years. Tehran’s nuclear ambitions remained a central obstacle during talks in Islamabad last weekend.

“We’re going to see what happens. But I think we’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” he told reporters outside the White House.

Later, speaking at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr Trump struck an even more confident note, saying the war “should be ending pretty soon”.

If the Lebanon ceasefire paves the way for a wider agreement involving Iran, it would mark a major breakthrough for the Trump administration, which has so far struggled to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and shut down Iran’s route to a nuclear weapon.

As the clock hit midnight local time in Beirut (10pm Irish time) last night, celebratory gunfire echoed through parts of the city as the ceasefire formally came into force.

Residents in Beirut fired bullets into the air to mark the start of the ceasefire

Hezbollah said its military campaign against Israel continued until the truce began, as supporters celebrated in Beirut

For roughly 30 minutes, witnesses also reported hearing explosions from rockets fired in celebration. Even so, the halt in fighting looked precarious.

The Lebanese Army said Israel violated the ceasefire after it came into effect, citing intermittent shelling of several villages in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment, though it had said earlier that its forces were still deployed in the area.

In a post on X, Arabic-language military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that deployment was a response to what he described as ongoing Hezbollah militant activity.

Hezbollah issued a lengthy statement outlining what it said were its military operations against Israel throughout yesterday, indicating that its final attack came at 11.50pm local time, 10 minutes before the ceasefire began.

Mr Trump later used social media to call on Hezbollah to honour the truce.

“I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time. It will be an GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!” he said.

Read more:Lebanon ceasefire agreement significant on number of frontsLive: Updates as they happen

More Israel-Lebanon talks on the horizon

Mr Trump said he believed the US had an opening to secure a deal with Iran.

“And if that happens, oil goes way down, prices go way down, inflation goes way down, and … much more importantly than even that, you won’t have a nuclear holocaust,” he said.

The president said he was unsure whether a two-week ceasefire agreed with Iran last week would need to run beyond next week, adding that Tehran wanted an agreement.

“We have a very good relationship with Iran right now, as hard as it is to believe. And I think it’s a combination of about four weeks of bombing, and a very powerful blockade.”

The Lebanon ceasefire is intended to stop a conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah that flared again during the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran on 2 March, triggering an Israeli offensive in Lebanon 15 months after the last major conflict.

Mr Trump said he had held “excellent conversations” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and planned to invite both men to the White House for “meaningful talks”.

He later said that meeting at the White House could happen within the next week or two, and that if an Iran deal were reached and signed in Islamabad, he might attend.

Mr Trump said he had instructed US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine to work with Israel and Lebanon to secure lasting peace.

Iran welcomed the Lebanon ceasefire, saying it formed part of an understanding reached with the United States and brokered by Pakistan, Iranian media reported, citing a statement from a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Sticking points remain

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply passes, has triggered the worst oil price shock in history and prompted the International Monetary Fund to cut its outlook for the global economy, warning that a prolonged conflict could push the world close to recession.

At talks last weekend, the US proposed a 20-year suspension of all Iranian nuclear activity – an apparent shift from its longstanding demand for a permanent ban.

Tehran proposed a pause of three to five years, according to people familiar with the talks.

Washington has insisted that any highly enriched uranium (HEU) be removed from Iran.

Tehran has demanded the lifting of international sanctions imposed on it.

Two Iranian sources said there were signs a compromise might be taking shape over the HEU stockpile, with Tehran weighing the shipment of part, but not all, of it out of the country – something it had previously rejected.

Mr Trump is hoping a deal with Iran will result in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

A diplomatic source said the main Pakistani mediator, Army chief Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and had achieved a breakthrough on “sticky issues”, though Tehran said the future of its nuclear programme remained unresolved.

Mr Trump has said the agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Munir’s visit had raised hopes for a second round of talks and an extension of the ceasefire, but said core disagreements over the nuclear programme still remained.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said troops were ready to resume combat operations if no deal was struck.

A Pakistani security source told Reuters that Washington was offering to lift sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets in order to secure an agreement.

However, the source said Iran would reopen the strait only if a permanent ceasefire was reached and the United Nations guaranteed that the US and Israel would not launch future attacks.

“We hope that the field marshal will have a draft in his hand when he flies out of Tehran,” the source said.