Free Republic

President Donald Trump told NBC News that he asked Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, after deadly Israeli attacks in Lebanon rattled planned Iran peace talks. Israel and militant group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire Friday, after a deadly escalation between the two in Lebanon looked set to derail Washington-Tehran peace talks in Switzerland. President Donald Trump told NBC News in a phone call Friday afternoon that he spoke with Israel and asked them to agree to a ceasefire. “It’s a positive,” he said, adding: “It’s a little icing on the cake.” He declined to specify whether he...

Recognizing Iran’s ability to influence Hezbollah in ways that Lebanon can’t, US and Qatar broker truce through Tehran, rather than Beirut, after 47 Lebanese killed in response to killing of 4 troops Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire on Friday afternoon, a US official said, after another flare-up in southern Lebanon that saw four Israeli soldiers and dozens of Lebanese casualties. The renewed truce appeared as fragile as ever, as it didn’t see Israel pull out of the large buffer zone it established in southern Lebanon — one that Hezbollah has used to justify continued attacks on troops stationed...

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a cease-fire in Lebanon on Friday, a US official said, after an escalation in fighting there jeopardized the chances of an interim agreement on ending the war in Iran turning into a lasting Middle East peace deal. US-Iran talks in Switzerland planned for Friday were canceled as fighting flared in Lebanon, creating new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations vital to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping. The senior US official said shortly before 4 p.m. Lebanon time (1300 GMT) that a cease-fire would go into effect then. “We understand...

Iran’s decision to launch ballistic missiles at Israel after months of ceasefire was not only a military message but also an attempt to demonstrate the new balance of power in Tehran. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the driving force behind the decision was Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi, who has emerged in recent months as a key figure within the Iranian regime. Vahidi prevailed over more moderate voices in Tehran who opposed the strike out of concern that it could damage contacts with the United States and jeopardize the possibility of an agreement. He persuaded Iran’s...

US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that details of the deal leaked by Iran are "fake news." In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing." "What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth. Very dishonorable people to deal with. With them, there is no such thing as dealing in good faith. AMAZING!" "Also, their totally rebuffed Drone attack last night against Indian Ships...

The U.S. and Iran could reportedly sign a peace deal as soon as Sunday, after Iranian state media said the draft deal included a commitment from the U.S. to lift oil sanctions and a pledge from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days. The 14-point document dictates that final negotiations will not begin until the release of half of Iran’s frozen funds, the suspension of Iran’s oil sanctions and the lifting of the naval blockade, the Mehr News Agency reported. All American forces would need to withdraw from Iran, and the U.S. and its allies would need...

Four U.S. Air Force C-17 transport aircraft departed for Europe on Thursday, carrying equipment for a possible signing ceremony in Geneva. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed earlier that the United States had reached a "great settlement" with Iran to end the war, while Tehran said it had "not yet reached a final decision," as Iran's hardline faction warned that Trump may be bluffing. If signed, the "Islamabad Agreement" would immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz without transit fees, extend the ceasefire for 60 days, including in Lebanon, and open nuclear negotiations, representing the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in the war.What's...

Iran hasn't reached a final decision on a peace deal with the U.S., an Iranian official said Thursday. "So far, Iran has not reached a final conclusion on the agreement," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement provided to Agence France-Presse. The statement comes after President Trump said earlier in the day that the U.S. had reached a "great settlement" regarding the Iran war. A letter of intent or memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran was likely to be signed early next week, two sources familiar with the diplomatic efforts told CBS News. Following Mr. Trump's...

KAN Israel News, citing an Iranian-linked news network, reports that $3 billion was transferred from Abu Dhabi to Tehran aboard a private Boeing 737. According to the report, Iran agreed to halt direct attacks on Israel after receiving a U.S. message, delivered through Qatar, in from further strikes in Lebanon. The funds were reportedly flown to Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport aboard UAE Royal Jet aircraft A6-RJF, which was tracked traveling from Abu Dhabi to Iran. At this stage, the flight itself was genuine (it happened during Irans airspace closure) and the presence of a UAE delegation in Tehran has been reported...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House next Monday as the U.S. leader steps up his push on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war in Gaza.The impending visit was confirmed by two U.S. administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on it.The trip will be Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since Trump returned to office in January, and it comes after the...

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP Jun 09, 2026, 12:38 PM

Israel conducted strikes on military targets in western and central Iran early Monday local time, the Israeli military announced, escalating a conflict that had already broken through the ceasefire just hours earlier when Iran fired multiple waves of missiles at Israel on Sunday. The strikes came despite a direct phone call from President Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him not to retaliate immediately for the Iranian missile attack. A senior U.S. official told the Associated Press, on condition of anonymity to describe a private call, that Trump believed he had convinced Netanyahu to wait. Israel struck anyway....

The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has emphatically rejected the terms of a US-backed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. In a strongly worded statement, the Iran-backed group's leader Naim Qassem said negotiations had been "futile" and "humiliating" for Lebanon, and rejected categorically by "broad segments of the Lebanese people". It comes after Israel and Lebanon announced a renewal of their fragile ceasefire with the creation of "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon in which Hezbollah operatives would be banned. It also required Hezbollah to stop attacking Israel. Donald Trump later said he had spoken to Hezbollah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...

A trilateral summit convened by the United States in Washington has resulted in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, following intensive two-day negotiations on Tuesday and Wednesday. A joint statement issued following the second day of talks on Wednesday stated that the accord dictates that the implementation of the truce is directly "contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector". To enforce the peace, Israel and Lebanon agreed to "swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of...

The US military has said it launched "self-defence" strikes on Iran overnight, and shot down ballistic missiles and drones fired at ships and Gulf countries. The strikes on Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, were "in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East", US Central Command (Centcom) said. Centcom said Iran had fired two missiles at Kuwait and three at Bahrain, all of which broke apart or were intercepted. Iran said it had attacked US bases and helicopters in a "regional country" using missiles and drones in retaliation. One person was killed in Kuwait and a...

Perhaps Hezbollah finally got a whiff of utter defeat. Either that, or they just got a reprieve courtesy of Iran. If it's the latter, though, they didn't get much. Donald Trump announced this afternoon that Hezbollah has had enough in Lebanon. The group had refused to comply with the ceasefire between Israel and the civilian government in Beirut, continuing to volley missiles at civilian targets. The IDF has captured strategic points in the sub-Litani region and had warned residents in Hezbollah-controlled areas of the capital to evacuate. That's when Hezbollah sued for peace, and Trump intervened:I had a very productive...

The US military carried out new strikes in Iran Wednesday, targeting a military site that threatened American troops and commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. “Today, US Central Command Forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz,” a US official said in a statement. “US forces also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone,” the official added. Despite the skirmish, the fragile cease-fire that has been in place since April 8 is still considered to be holding.“These actions were...

American military forces executed a series of preemptive, defensive airstrikes in southern Iran on Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed. "US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces," CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News. He added, “Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire." The American confirmation followed a wave of reports across state-controlled Iranian media networks. Tehran's press outlets initially reported that a pair of naval vessels...

Following a third round of talks between Lebanon and Israel held Thursday and Friday in Washington, the United States said the ceasefire between the two sides has been extended and that separate security discussions will be launched later this month. “The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in an X post following the talks. The two sides will reconvene political talks on June 2 and June 3, Pigott said.

US President Donald Trump is intensifying his rhetoric towards Iran and is furious about the proposal it submitted to the US as part of attempts to reach an agreement and end the American war against the Islamic Republic. “Iran’s proposal is stupid. I didn’t even finish reading it. I had an amazing plan after Iran was defeated. They must understand that they will not have nuclear weapons. They are dangerous," Trump declared during an event at the White House today (Monday). He emphasized that “the ceasefire is very weak after the piece of garbage they sent us." Earlier, in an...