Direct. War in the Middle East: US mentions possible agreement with Iran as of Saturday, Tehran says finalizing end of conflict protocols

Foreign Minister of Iran stated on Saturday that his country was in the “finalization phase” of an agreement with the United States.

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Donald Trump continues to send mixed signals. An agreement between the United States and Iran is “very close,” said the President of the United States on Saturday, while estimating to CBS News that the chances of a “good” agreement or a return to war are “50-50.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope for “good news,” indicating that the United States may have information to share “later today, tomorrow, or in a few days.” Iranian diplomats confirmed a “trend towards reconciliation,” stating that they are currently finalizing “agreement protocols” that will be discussed within two months before a potential “final agreement.”

• Tehran warns against a resumption of hostilities. Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that the ceasefire had allowed for the “rebuilding” of the Iranian military. He warned, “If Trump commits another foolish act and restarts the war, [the consequences] will certainly be much more crushing and bitter for the United States than on the first day of the war.”
• The fate of Lebanon tied to Iran? The latest Iranian proposal to end the war with the United States includes a ceasefire in Lebanon, according to a statement from Hezbollah. The Lebanese Islamist movement claims to have received a message from Tehran, assuring that Iran “will not give up its support for movements advocating justice and freedom, foremost among them Hezbollah.”
• Lebanese soldier wounded in Israeli strike. The Lebanese army accused Israel of targeting a barracks in the south of the country, injuring a soldier despite a ceasefire in the war between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement. Israel had earlier issued a warning to evacuate before imminent strikes on several villages in southern Lebanon, north of the Litani River.
• Israeli soldier killed on the Lebanese border. The Israeli army announced that one of its soldiers was killed on Friday in northern Israel. This casualty, the circumstances of which have not been disclosed, brings the total number of army deaths to 22 since the beginning of the war with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah.