Agreement with Iran could be reached 'within the next month': Trump | LIVE

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The Israeli army recently targeted a Hezbollah element in the Tiri region, in the Bint Jbeil district, army spokesperson Avichay Adraee told X.

An agreement with Iran could be reached 'within next month' Trump says

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that an agreement with Iran was necessary and could be reached "within the next month," Reuters reports.

"We have to get a deal with Iran. I think we can get a deal within the next month. I'll talk to them for as long as it takes," Trump told reporters.

He added, "We have to get a deal, or it's going to be very traumatic, very traumatic."

This statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House, which focused on the Iranian issue and the recent negotiations in Oman between Washington and Tehran.

The U.S. president also criticized the Israeli president, saying he "should be ashamed of himself" for not granting Netanyahu a pardon.

Israeli artillery also fired on town of Markaba, Marjayoun

After already targeting four other border villages, Israeli artillery also fired on the town of Markaba (Marjayoun district), reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

The shelling sparked a forest fire in the affected area.

European aviation agency recommends avoiding Iranian airspace until March 31

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has extended until March 31, 2026, the validity of its advisory recommending that airlines avoid Iranian airspace, initially issued on Jan. 16.

In an update published this week, EASA maintained its risk assessment related to the security situation in the region, concluding that the potential threats to civil aviation remain high.

Netanyahu says Trump is creating conditions for 'good deal' with Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump is creating the "conditions" that could lead to a "good deal" with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday in Washington, while also expressing "a certain amount of skepticism."

"The conditions he is creating, combined with the fact that [the Iranians] certainly understand that they made a mistake last time by not reaching an agreement, could create the conditions for a good deal," Netanyahu said before leaving the U.S. capital, where he met with Trump.

"It's not just about the nuclear issue [but] also about ballistic missiles and Iran's proxy [armed groups]" such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, he added.

2 Israelis cross Lebanese border; Israeli army brings them back 'safe and sound'

The Israeli army stated that it had "brought back safe and sound" two Israelis who crossed the border into Lebanon, on the sidelines of a gathering of "about 20 people" near the Blue Line.

"Two Israelis illegally crossed the Lebanese border after about twenty of them gathered near it earlier on Thursday," the army said in a statement, condemning the incident.

"Soldiers were dispatched to the scene, located the civilians, and brought them safely back into Israeli territory," the statement said, adding that they would subsequently be "handed over to the Israeli police."

In recent years, groups of Israeli settlers have repeatedly crossed the Lebanese border to call for the establishment of Jewish settlements in southern Lebanon.

Israeli artillery fire targets several border villages in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army carried out a series of artillery strikes against the towns of Maroun al-Ras and Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district), Blida (Marjayoun district), and Labbouneh (Sour district), all located along the border, reports our correspondent in the region.

UNIFIL says it recorded 'thousands of violations' since start of cease-fire

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement on Thursday affirming its “support for stability in southern Lebanon” and its commitment to continuing its mission despite the “thousands of violations” recorded since the cease-fire came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024.

“Every day, we patrol, monitor, and report violations of Resolution 1701 to the Security Council. Since Nov. 27, 2024, we have documented thousands of air and ground violations and handed over hundreds of weapons caches to the Lebanese Army,” the statement read, without specifically naming the perpetrators of these violations.

Last November, UNIFIL told our publication that it had recorded some 7,500 violations of Lebanese airspace and around 2,500 Israeli military activities north of the Blue Line between Nov. 27, 2024, and Nov. 26, 2025.

⚡ Israeli army orders soldiers to prevent Palestinians from plowing their land in the West Bank

Israeli soldiers have been deployed to block Palestinian agricultural activities following requests from Israeli settlers, Haaretz reports.

The army issued specific orders declaring certain areas “closed military zones,” and in some cases forces also used crowd-dispersal measures.

Syria: Army takes control of al-Tanf base after US forces withdraw

The Syrian army has taken control of the al-Tanf base in the country’s southeast following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the Defense Ministry in Damascus announced Thursday.

“After coordination between the Syrian and American sides, units of the Syrian army took control” of the base near the Jordanian border, the statement said.

Two Syrian military sources had told AFP on Wednesday that U.S. forces deployed as part of the international anti-jihadist coalition had fully withdrawn.

South Lebanon: Israeli artillery fire on Kfar Shuba

The Israeli army fired artillery shells toward Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), our correspondent reports.

Most foreign fighters' families have left Syria's al-Hol camp

Most relatives of foreign fighters have left al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria since the departure on Jan. 20 of Kurdish troops, who were replaced by Syrian security forces, two humanitarian sources and witnesses told AFP.

Al-Hol – the largest camp for families of the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria – housed around 6,300 foreign women and children in a high-security section known as the Annex. “Since last Saturday, no more than about 20 families remain,” one of the sources said on condition of anonymity, without providing further details on the fate of those who left.

German parliament's lower house president visited Gaza

The president of the lower house of the German parliament, Julia Klöckner, visited Gaza on Thursday morning, the Bundestag told AFP.

The first German representative to travel to the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, Ms. Klöckner “spent about an hour in the part of the Gaza Strip controlled by the Israeli armed forces,” the assembly said in response to an AFP query.

South Lebanon: Lebanese army and UNIFIL enter Wadi al-Hujeir

A large joint patrol of UNIFIL peacekeepers and the Lebanese army entered the Wadi al-Hujeir valley, according to our correspondent.

The valley is considered a strategic route linking three major regions in southern Lebanon: the Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh districts.

The Israeli army had unsuccessfully attempted to deploy there during its ground offensive in Lebanon between late September and November 2024, before entering the area without resistance after the cease-fire in late December 2024.

It erected an earth mound, damaged the road, blocked an axis linking Wadi al-Hujeir to another key southern valley, Wadi Saluki, and fired on a civilian who was briefly detained.

Israeli forces later withdrew following an expanded deployment of the Lebanese army in the area and high-level contacts.

South Lebanon: Israeli artillery fire hits Yaroun and surrounding areas

Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Yaroun (Bint Jbeil district) and struck a home in the town’s Christian neighborhood, according to our correspondent.

China against 'any attempt at annexation' of Palestinian territory

China said it opposes “any attempt at annexation” of Palestinian territory after Israel on Sunday approved measures that significantly strengthen its control over the occupied West Bank, AFP reported.

“China has always opposed the construction of new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and any attempt at annexation or encroachment on Palestinian land that undermines the foundations of the two-state solution,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing.

Araghchi: 'Iran will not back down from defending its sovereignty, whatever the cost'

Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said in a post on X that “Iran will not back down from defending its sovereignty, whatever the cost.” He said that “reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program is possible, provided it is fair and balanced.”

“Our preference is diplomacy, and an agreement on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is possible — but only if it is just and balanced,” he stressed. “As millions of Iranians once again affirmed today: our rights and our dignity are not for sale,” he added, speaking on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.

“Many things have happened in the decades since the Islamic Revolution, particularly over the past 12 months. In the past year alone, our people have been subjected to an unprecedented attack by two nuclear-armed regimes,” Israel and the United States, “followed by a massive terrorist operation,” he said, referring to the large-scale protests that shook the country for several weeks between late December and mid-January. “Yet the Islamic Republic of Iran has remained strong,” the foreign minister insisted.

Washington and Tehran show flexibility on nuclear issue, but missile talks risk war, Turkey warns

Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said the United States and Iran are currently showing flexibility in discussions on a potential nuclear agreement, with Washington appearing “willing” to tolerate a certain level of enrichment.

In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, Fidan described it as “positive” that “the Americans seem willing to tolerate Iranian enrichment within clearly defined limits.”

“The Iranians now recognize that they must reach an agreement with the Americans, and the Americans understand that the Iranians have certain limits. There is no point in trying to force them,” he said.

However, he warned that expanding the talks to include Iran’s missile program risks bringing “nothing but another war.”

Trump 'pressed' Netanyahu to continue talks with Iran

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Donald Trump on Wednesday, is pushing for a new offensive against Iran, the U.S. president said he had “pressed” Netanyahu during their meeting to continue discussions with Tehran.

Netanyahu, a proponent of a hard-line approach, called for Israel’s “security needs” to be taken into account in the talks.

Read more here on the meeting between Trump and Netanyahu.

2nd aircraft carrier preparing for possible deployment to the Middle East, WSJ reports

After President Donald Trump said he was “considering” deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, the Pentagon ordered a second carrier strike group — after the USS Abraham Lincoln — to prepare for deployment, though no formal deployment order has been issued yet, according to three U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. Such a deployment would come as the U.S. military prepares for a potential strike against Iran, with which Washington started new nuclear negotiations last Friday.

Israeli army blows up 3 homes in southern Lebanon overnight

The Israeli army blew up three homes overnight in southern Lebanon. An Israeli patrol infiltrated the town of Odaisseh (Marjayoun district), near Hounine Valley, and detonated two buildings, which were completely destroyed. Another force entered Lebanese territory near Kfar Kila, a village neighboring Odaisseh, and blew up a building there, according to our correspondent.

Meanwhile, an Israeli army drone dropped stun grenades on a bulldozer in Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district), while machine-gun fire targeted the outskirts of Alma al-Shaab (Sour district) from the position Israel continues to occupy in the neighboring area of Labbouneh, southeast of Naqoura.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Lebanon and the Middle East

We will be following the escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran following yesterday's meeting in Washington between Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is calling for maximum pressure on Tehran.

We will also be covering the situation in southern Lebanon and Gaza, which continue to be bombarded by Israel despite the cease-fire.

Catch up here with the Morning brief.