Day 86 | Trump says agreement with Iran “largely negotiated”

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Read more: Day 87 | Trump says US will not “rush into a deal” with Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the New York Times that an agreement with Iran had garnered regional support but a nuclear deal couldn't be achieved "in 72 hours on the back of a napkin".

His comments came after US President Donald Trump told his negotiators "not to rush into a deal" with Iran to end the three-month war.

"We're not kicking it till later. Nuclear talks are highly technical matters. You can't do a nuclear thing in 72 hours on the back of a napkin," Rubio told the Times in a brief interview.

"So right now, we have seven or eight countries in the region that are endorsing this approach, and we're prepared to move forward on this approach," he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah of trying to destabilize Lebanon after the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, called for mass protests against the Lebanese government.

Rubio condemned what he described as Hezbollah’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government,” saying the Iran-backed group was “actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction.”

“Hizballah’s threats of violence and overthrow will not be allowed to succeed,” Rubio said. “The era in which a terrorist group held an entire nation hostage is coming to an end.”

Qassem’s remarks came after renewed ‘Israeli’ strikes and US sanctions targeting Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution that provides interest-free loans primarily to Lebanon’s Shia communities during the country’s economic crisis.

“The aggression against Al-Qard Al-Hassan is an aggression against hundreds of thousands of poor people and those with limited income,” Qassem said.

He added that “the people have the right to go down onto the streets and to bring down the government” in response to pressure on the institution and continued attacks on Lebanon.

US officials told Fox News that no agreement with Iran is expected to be signed today or tomorrow, as negotiations continue over the final details of the proposed deal.

According to the officials, President Donald Trump is inclined to give Tehran several more days to complete the process.

The officials said Iran has agreed in principle to the overall framework of the agreement, adding that around 95 percent of the deal has already been completed.

They said current discussions are focused mainly on final wording and legal formulations.

US President Donald Trump defended ongoing negotiations with Iran, saying any future agreement would be “good and proper” and fundamentally different from the nuclear deal reached under former President Barack Obama.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said the Obama-era agreement gave Iran “massive amounts of CASH, and a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon.”

“I don’t make bad deals”

Trump claimed the emerging agreement under discussion is “the exact opposite,” while stressing that negotiations are not yet complete.

“Our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet,” he wrote.

“So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about.”

Trump added: “Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals!”

‘Israeli’ security officials, speaking to Channel 12, said they would have preferred either a military option or economic pressure aimed at “strangling” Iran, warning that the current draft agreement could enable Tehran to recover and continue funding its regional allies.

They argued the deal does not address Iran’s missile programme or its regional proxy networks, which they described as major gaps in the negotiations.

A senior US official told Channel 12 that an agreement with Iran is not expected imminently, saying additional time is required to resolve outstanding issues.

The United States is reportedly demanding that Iran hand over its entire uranium stockpile, not only already enriched material, as talks continue over the scope of nuclear restrictions.

Channel 13, citing informed sources, reported that ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed concern over the emerging agreement with Iran. In closed discussions, he reportedly acknowledged that ‘Israel’ currently lacks the ability to influence decisions made by US President Donald Trump.

‘Israeli’ forces said they launched interceptor missiles toward “a number of suspected aerial targets with which contact was lost” in northern ‘Israel’, according to a military statement shared on Telegram.

The military said the launches came after alerts were activated across several areas, indicating a possible intrusion of hostile aircraft.

CNN, citing a US official, reported that the lifting of sanctions and unfreezing of Iranian assets will only proceed if Iran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and continue negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The official said the exact amount of funds Iran could receive under any potential agreement has not yet been determined.

According to the report, Iran has in principle agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Democratic lawmakers in the United States have sharply criticised the Trump administration’s handling of ongoing negotiations with Iran, warning that a potential agreement could weaken Washington’s position.

Senator Chris Van Hollen told Fox News the conflict and diplomatic track had been “a blunder from the very start,” arguing that the emerging deal could give Iran “more control than it did before” over the Strait of Hormuz.

“When you’re digging a hole, you should stop digging,” he said.

Senator Cory Booker also criticised the negotiations in an interview with CNN, saying he was “outraged” that the possible agreement does not adequately address Iran’s nuclear programme.

“He’s got us in a situation that’s worse than it was before,” Booker said, adding: “Donald Trump is being played as the fool that he is.”

A senior US official told Fox News that Washington has observed what it described as “serious and unprecedented concessions” from Iran regarding uranium enrichment.

According to the official, the US plan under discussion includes measures to deal with Iran’s entire stockpile of enriched nuclear material.

The official also said the US rejects any proposal to impose transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the idea unacceptable.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi met Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in the capital Muscat, according to the Oman News Agency.

Gharibabadi delivered a “verbal message” from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the meeting, the report said.

The talks also covered ongoing Pakistan-mediated discussions between Tehran and Washington, as well as what officials described as “the commitment of both countries to resuming freedom of navigation.”

‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he held talks with US President Donald Trump, with both leaders agreeing that any potential agreement with Iran must fully remove what he described as a nuclear danger.

In a post on X, Netanyahu said the deal “must eliminate the nuclear danger,” adding that this would require dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities and removing enriched nuclear material from its territory.

“My policy, like President Trump’s, remains unchanged: Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” he said.

Netanyahu added that Trump reaffirmed what he described as the ‘Israeli’ right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump said a US naval blockade on a strategic waterway will remain in force until an agreement with Iran is fully completed and signed.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the measure would stay in place “until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”

Trump urged caution in the ongoing discussions, stressing the need for precision in finalizing any deal.

“Both sides must take their time and get it right,” he wrote. “There can be no mistakes!”

He also described US-Iran relations as shifting in tone, saying, “Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one.”

Medicine prices are climbing across Iran as officials warn that currency fluctuations and sustained inflation are driving up healthcare costs.

Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi told parliament in an overnight session that the government is seeking to offset the impact through insurance mechanisms.

“The main solution is to be able to cover all increases in medicine prices through insurance so that there is no additional pressure on the people,” he said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

Economic strain has intensified in recent months, with the Statistical Center of Iran reporting that inflation in Farvardin, the first month of the Persian calendar year ending April 20, reached 73.5 percent compared with the same period a year earlier.

The sharp rise in prices comes amid a fluctuating exchange rate that continues to disrupt imports of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

The 'Israeli' military said it identified a “suspicious aerial target” in northern 'Israel' near the Lebanese border, adding that contact with the object was later lost.

According to the military, sirens were activated in the northern communities of Yir’on and Avivim following the detection.

The army said warning sirens continued to sound across parts of northern 'Israel' as air defense systems remained on alert.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said at least 33 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours with permission from its naval forces.

In a statement carried by the IRGC public relations office, the vessels were identified as oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels navigating the strategic waterway.

The IRGC said its navy was maintaining what it described as “intelligent control” over the Strait of Hormuz following “severe insecurity” caused by the “aggression of the US aggressor army” in the area.

A Bahraini court has sentenced nine people to life in prison and two others to three years in jail for allegedly collaborating with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to carry out what authorities described as “hostile and terrorist acts” against the kingdom.

According to Bahrain’s state news agency, the defendants were accused of gathering information on sensitive locations and facilitating financial transfers linked to the alleged activities.

'Israel's' military on Sunday warned residents of around a dozen villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of expected strikes.

"For your safety, we urge you to immediately move at least 1,000 metres away from the areas mentioned," the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Colonel Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X, listing the names of the villages.

• 'Israeli' strikes targeted multiple areas in southern Lebanon
• 'Israeli' army issued evacuation warning to residents in several towns
• Injuries reported after health team was targeted in Arab Salim

'Israeli' warplanes and drones carried out a series of strikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday, targeting several towns in the Nabatieh area and western Bekaa, according to a Roya correspondent.

Local reports said 'Israeli' airstrikes hit Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Jabshit, and al-Taher, while artillery shelling targeted Kfartebnit. A drone strike was also reported between Zebdine and Choukine.

Earlier, the 'Israeli' army issued an “urgent warning” calling on residents in multiple towns, including Mashghara, Deir al-Zahrani, Zebdine, Arab Salim, and Nabatieh al-Tahta, to evacuate immediately and move at least one kilometer away. The military claimed Hezbollah had violated the ceasefire agreement and said 'Israeli' forces would act “with force” against the group.

Meanwhile, local reports said a team from the Islamic Health Authority was targeted in Arab Salim, with injuries reported. No official casualty figures were immediately released.

Iranian news agency Mehr News Agency reported that air defense units shot down an 'Israeli' drone over Hormozgan province in southern Iran.

According to the report, the drone was allegedly being used for espionage and reconnaissance missions before it was intercepted by Iranian army air defenses. Iranian media identified the aircraft as an “Orbiter” drone, describing it as radar-evading.

Officials from the southeastern air defense operational zone, based in Bandar Abbas, reportedly said the drone was targeted using a specialized defense system, though they did not disclose details about the system. They claimed the system is capable of preventing radar-evading drones from entering the region’s airspace, including areas stretching across the Arabian Gulf, nearby islands, and southern and southeastern Iran.

Mehr also reported that the wreckage of the destroyed drone was discovered with assistance from Hormozgan naval police forces. ‘Israel’ has not commented on the claim.