Iran war day 106: US and Iran say they have reached an agreement but fighting in Lebanon continues | Articles of Controversy

The U.S. and Iran say a deal to end the conflict is close, with the final word agreed but significant steps remain.

Iran and the United States appeared close to the deal ending the war on Friday, with officials saying a deal could be reached soon.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the memorandum of understanding with Washington “has never been close” and urged the media not to speculate on its contents before it is finalized. US President Donald Trump later retweeted Araghchi’s comments after dismissing reports about the deal as “fake news”.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has helped mediate the talks, said a “final agreement” had been drawn up, although “some steps” needed to be completed.

Here’s what happened:

In Iran

• Lebanon ceasefire ‘litmus test’ for US-Iran deal: Reports from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said Araghchi acknowledged the disagreements within the Iranian leadership on the terms of the proposed deal, but explained that it was possible and said a deal could be reached soon. The first part of the agreement includes a ceasefire in all areas, including Lebanon, the lifting of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the process of removing the Iranian economy. Vall said that achieving and maintaining a ceasefire in Lebanon will be the main test of whether the agreement will succeed.
• Iranian officials say $24bn in assets could be blocked: State media, citing a senior official Mohsen Rezaei, reported that Trump had agreed to release $24bn in Iran’s frozen assets but did not publicly acknowledge it. Trump has previously dismissed Iranian reports about the proposed deal as “fake news”.

In the US

• A deal with Iran may be days away despite Trump’s tough talk: Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reported that Trump criticized Iran for issuing “falsehoods” and misinformation about the proposed deal, describing Tehran as “very despicable” and urging it to “take action” quickly. Despite the harsh language, US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, said progress was being made and that Iran could receive incentives if it met the agreed “benchmarks”.
• US says it intercepted Iranian drones in Strait of Hormuz: CENTCOM said the US military had shot down several Iranian drones it said were targeting commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that maritime traffic through the vital trade route remained unimpeded.
• Trump wants ‘way out’ from Iran war, expert says: Reports from Washington, DC, Mike Hanna said that Trump’s change of tone confirms that he wants to find a deal with Iran and move past the conflict. He said the agreement could provide a way for the leader of the country to avoid the political and economic problems caused by the long-lasting war.

In Lebanon

• There is no sign of slowing down in Lebanon: Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett said this Israel resumed the attack in the towns of the districts of Tire and Nabatieh and issued a “mass order to force people to move” which affected more than 20 areas of Nabatieh and Jezzine. The increase shows that “we don’t see any slowdown” in the war, even though the Iranians have confirmed that Lebanon will be included in the ceasefire agreement, he said.
• A former US ambassador says Lebanon remains an important test for any mission: Henry Ensher told Al Jazeera that Iran has always viewed Lebanon as a “tool” of its foreign policy and warned that Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon could be “strategic”. He warned that there are “many ways that could go wrong”, stressing that any agreement between Washington and Tehran would be “a very preliminary agreement”, not a final settlement.