Day 95 | Trump says Iran talks continue at 'rapid pace' despite suspension claims

This live thread has ended. Follow our online coverage of day 96 of the war.

Read more: Day 96 | Trump says Iran talks happening “continuously”, Rubio still hopeful

US forces fired a missile at a ship that was attempting to sail to an Iranian port in violation of an American blockade, disabling the vessel, the US military said Tuesday.

The Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie -- an unladen oil tanker -- "ignored repeated warnings" over a 24-hour period, and an American warplane "ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship's engine room," the US military's Central Command said in a statement.

Widespread destruction is seen at the site of an ‘Israeli’ strike on the southern Lebanese town of Burj al-Shamal.

‘Israel’ continued to strike southern Lebanon on Tuesday as Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked its troops there, despite an apparent Washington-brokered de-escalation deal and a fourth round of US-hosted talks between Lebanon and ‘Israel’.

‘Israel’ and Hezbollah exchanged fire on Tuesday while Lebanese and ‘Israeli’ diplomats met in Washington for direct talks, with top US diplomat Marco Rubio saying the group was the only impediment to a peace deal.

The fighting came after US President Donald Trump declared on Monday that he had brokered a deal which the Lebanese embassy in Washington later said would at first only cover ‘Israeli’ attacks on Beirut and Hezbollah attacks on ‘Israeli’ territory, before expanding in scope.

‘Israel’ has been fighting Hezbollah since the group dragged Lebanon into the wider Middle East war by attacking ‘Israel’ on March 2 in support of Iran.

Neither side has publicly accepted Trump's deal, with senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati telling AFP in a written statement the group "will not accept a partial ceasefire".

"The Zionist enemy should know that any aggression against the suburbs could lead to a deeper and stronger response" from the group, he added.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported ‘Israeli’ strikes, some of them deadly, on around 30 locations across the south on Tuesday.

Hezbollah meanwhile said it had attacked ‘Israeli’ troops in southern Lebanese lands they occupy, but had not claimed attacks in ‘Israel’.

The ‘Israeli’ military said it intercepted two projectiles from Lebanon, without reporting any injuries.

The fighting took place with ‘Israeli’ and Lebanese diplomats in Washington for a fourth round of direct talks since the start of the current war.

"Israel and Lebanon can do a peace deal tomorrow," Rubio told a hearing of the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee.

He added: "Israel has no territorial claims in Lebanon. Hezbollah is the impediment."

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the talks, which are deeply opposed by Hezbollah, "the least costly choice for Lebanon".

“Crazy”

The US secretary of state said Washington wanted the talks to remain independent of those with Iran to end the wider Middle East war launched by the US and ‘Israel’ against Tehran on February 28.

Tehran has repeatedly linked the two conflicts and on Monday said that ‘Israel's’ expanding campaign in Lebanon risked ending the US-Iran ceasefire in place since April 8.

Recent days have seen a dramatic escalation in fighting and bombardment as ‘Israeli’ troops staged their deepest ground offensive into Lebanon in two decades.

Citing what he called Hezbollah's "repeated violations" of a ceasefire officially in place since April 17 but never respected by either side, ‘Israel's’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a densely populated Hezbollah stronghold.

According to US site Axios, however, Trump pressured Netanyahu to back down, calling him "fucking crazy" in a phone call and accusing him of putting peace talks with Iran at risk.

‘Israeli’ Defence Minister Israel Katz subsequently said that ‘Israel’ had established "a new equation" backed by Washington that his country would hit the Beirut suburbs if Hezbollah continued firing at ‘Israel’.

Citing ‘Israel's’ actions in Lebanon, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Monday that Iran was suspending peace talks with the US.

Trump on Tuesday denied the report, however, insisting that the US and Iran were speaking "continuously" including "one day ago and today".

In what could be a remarkable and rare case from the ongoing US-led war against Iran, one US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle pilot was downed twice in under five weeks, according to a report by “The High Side”, self-described as “in-depth US national security reporting”.

The aviator first survived a Kuwaiti friendly fire incident in early March 2026 before being shot down by Iranian forces in April.

On March 1, three US F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly engaged and shot down over Kuwait amid chaotic combat operations.

Kuwaiti air defenses, reportedly including a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet that fired three missiles, downed the jets while US and allied forces responded to Iranian aircraft, drones, and ballistic missiles.

All six crew members ejected safely and were recovered in stable condition. Kuwait acknowledged the incident.

The pilots, including the one later involved in the Iran shootdown, quickly returned to operations.

By late March, some had resumed combat missions, including strikes on Iranian targets.

On April 3, the same F-15E pilot was at the controls when Iranian forces shot down his Strike Eagle over southwestern Iran, according to current and former Air Force officials cited by “The High Side”.

The jet was hit, forcing both the pilot and weapons systems officer (WSO) to eject. The pilot was rescued relatively quickly by US forces.

The WSO faced a more harrowing ordeal after a parachute malfunction caused injuries.

He evaded capture for about 48 hours in rugged terrain before a high-risk combat search-and-rescue operation involving JSOC elements, such as SEAL Team 6 operators and helicopters, extracted him.

Military sources describe this as likely the first instance of a US fixed-wing Air Force pilot being shot down twice in the same conflict since the Vietnam War.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States and Iran were speaking “continuously,” denying reports that Tehran had broken off contact over ‘Israel’s’ attacks on Lebanon.

Trump added that “one never knows” where the negotiations would lead, as weeks of direct and indirect talks have failed to end the US-‘Israeli’ war on Iran that began on February 28.

“Fake News Reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the U.S.A., stopped speaking a few days ago are false and erroneous,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

“The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today.”

Trump added: “Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You’ve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!’”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday expressed hope that a deal to end the war in Iran was in the cards, stressing that Tehran must severely curtail its nuclear program before any sanctions are lifted.

"There is the prospect before us, which could happen today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week," Rubio told a Congressional panel.

Rubio was testifying in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as the three-month US-‘Israeli’ war on Iran appears to have reached an impasse, with the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz continuing to disrupt global energy markets.

Rubio insisted that Tehran must reopen the shipping channel for any peace agreement to take hold, while also agreeing to curb its nuclear activities in order to see sanctions lifted.

"Iran is being sanctioned because they've highly enriched uranium, Iran is being sanctioned because of their nuclear activities," Rubio said.

"If they agree to give up those things, there will be sanctions relief."

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed confidence that a deal with Iran was near, but talks have stalled. And although a ceasefire has largely been held since early April, Iranian and US forces have traded strikes in recent days.

Rubio sought to downplay the hostilities, saying the conflict had effectively ended. "Well, the war is over," he said.

While acknowledging that the Iranians “still have a lot of drones,” Rubio defended the decision to go to war, saying it has significantly reduced the Islamic republic's ability to do harm.

"Iran has no navy left, they've lost a substantial percentage of their defense industrial base, that Iran has lost a substantial percentage of their missile launchers," Rubio said.

He added: "And their economy is far worse today, and I mean, far worse today than it was six to nine months ago."

Rubio also stated that Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was wounded in US-‘Israeli’ attacks and has not been seen in public since assuming office, is alive and increasingly active.

"I think there are indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level," Rubio told the panel.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, succeeded his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the first wave of US-‘Israeli’ strikes that launched the war on February 28.

Iran is preparing large-scale funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of Iran, with events set to take place across Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, according to officials.

A senior Tehran municipality official said arrangements are underway to accommodate an estimated 15 to 20 million participants in the capital alone, describing the planned ceremonies as one of the largest public gatherings in recent years.

Officials said the farewell process will span three days, with the main procession in Tehran expected to continue for at least 24 hours.

They added that the burial site will be in Mashhad, at the shrine of Imam Reza, in line with the deceased’s will and guidance from close associates.

Authorities said coordination is ongoing with several provinces as nationwide interest in participation continues to grow.

The ceremonies are expected to take place around late Dhu al-Hijjah or early Muharram (which corresponds to mid to late June for late Dhu al-Hijjah and late June to early July for early Muharram) pending final confirmation of schedules and venues in Tehran, including possible locations such as the Grand Mosque and the Imam Khomeini Shrine area.

• Spain condemns 'Israeli' military actions in Lebanon
• Madrid calls ground incursions a violation of Lebanese sovereignty
• Foreign minister says Spain will not take part in US-Iran war

Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned 'Israeli' military operations in Lebanon, calling for full respect of the ceasefire and warning against further escalation in the region.

In a statement, the ministry described 'Israeli' ground incursions into southern Lebanon as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also expressed concern over the humanitarian impact of the conflict, including civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.

“Spain reiterates its deep dismay and condemnation of the civilian casualties in Lebanon, the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel, which violate the basic principles of international humanitarian law,” the ministry said.

Read more: 'Israeli' military announces capture of Beaufort Castle

The statement also criticized the seizure of Beaufort Castle, warning that actions affecting cultural heritage sites pose a threat to protected historical landmarks. Spain reaffirmed its support for the Lebanese government and called for compliance with international and humanitarian law.

Separately, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Spain would not participate in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran.

“We will not take part in any action that could mean an escalation. And above all, we think that there is no military solution for this crisis,” Albares said.

His remarks reflect Madrid’s position in favor of diplomacy and de-escalation amid growing tensions across the Middle East.

"There's an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel," said the US Ambassador to 'Israel' Mike Huckabee after claiming that the latter sent Iron Dome air defense batteries to the United Arab Emirates, along with technical and military personnel to assist in operating the system.

Speaking in remarks delivered at an academic conference hosted by Tel Aviv University, Huckabee praised the UAE’s strategic decisions and described it as a leading example of the Abraham Accords, which established normalized relations between 'Israel' and several Arab states in 2020.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior has banned citizens from travelling to Iran and Iraq, citing heightened regional tensions and what it described as the ongoing instability in the security situation.

In a statement, the ministry urged all Bahraini nationals to comply with the directive immediately, stressing that the decision was taken to protect citizens amid evolving regional developments.

Officials said the measure comes at a sensitive time as efforts continue to maintain a fragile ceasefire across parts of the Middle East. However, no specific timeline was provided for when the restrictions might be lifted, with authorities saying the situation will be assessed continuously.

The ban is expected to affect religious travel, as both Iran and Iraq are major destinations for pilgrimage tourism, attracting thousands of Bahraini visitors each year.

The government said it remains committed to monitoring developments closely to ensure the safety and security of its citizens abroad.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday that the state has no option in the current phase except diplomacy and negotiations to end the ongoing military confrontation, stressing that the top priority is preventing the country from sliding into internal strife.

Aoun said Lebanon has suffered heavy human and material losses, noting that more than 3,000 people have been killed during the ongoing conflict, while over one million residents have been displaced from their towns and villages.

He said these figures underline the urgency of pursuing a political settlement, adding that real strength lies not in continuing war but in having the courage and wisdom to end it through negotiations in the national interest.

The president also reaffirmed the state’s commitment to preserving civil peace and maintaining stability within Lebanese society, warning against any attempts to inflame internal tensions.

His remarks come amid intensified international and regional efforts to reach a phased ceasefire agreement, while 'Israeli' strikes and military operations continue in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

US President Donald Trump lashed out at ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a highly tense phone call on Monday, according to US officials and a third source briefed on the matter who spoke to Axios. The confrontation has exposed a deep rift between the two leaders as ‘Israels’ military actions in Lebanon threaten to derail critical US-led diplomatic negotiations with Iran.

According to the Axios report, Trump directly ordered the ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister to halt plans to bomb the Lebanese capital of Beirut, warning that further escalation would leave ‘Israel’ entirely isolated on the global stage.

Inside the heated exchange

The phone call is being described by officials as one of the most explosive conversations between Trump and Netanyahu since the US President returned to office. Axios reported that Trump accused Netanyahu of disproportionate escalation, ingratitude, and actively undermining American foreign policy.

Summarizing Trump's remarks, one US official told Axios that the President told Netanyahu:

"You're f**king crazy. You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I’m saving your a**. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this."

A second source briefed on the call confirmed to Axios that Trump was furious, at one point shouting, "What the f**k are you doing?"

Officials noted that while Trump acknowledged ‘Israel's’ right to defend itself against Hezbollah rocket fire, he objected to the recent scale of the response. The President reportedly expressed severe concern over rising civilian casualties in Lebanon and strongly criticized the ‘Israeli’ forces tactic of destroying entire residential buildings to target individual Hezbollah commanders. Two sources also noted that Trump claimed he had helped keep Netanyahu out of jail, referencing his past support during the Prime Minister's corruption trial.

The diplomatic stakes with Iran

The primary driver behind the President’s anger appears to be the immediate threat the escalation poses to a fragile, US-negotiated peace framework with Iran. Earlier on Monday, Tehran threatened to completely abandon the talks which include provisions for ending the conflict and lifting the maritime blockade on the Strait of Hormuz in protest of ‘Israels’ actions in Lebanon.

Sources told Axios that the memorandum currently being negotiated between Washington and Tehran explicitly calls for an end to the fighting in Lebanon, a clause that has previously caused friction between US and ‘Israeli’ leadership. Following the explosive call, Trump attempted to project stability, posting on Truth Social that the Iran talks were "continuing, at a rapid pace."

Shifting plans and contradictory statements

An ‘Israeli’ official told Axios that following the exchange, 'Israel' no longer plans to strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut. However, public statements from the two sides have offered vastly different accounts of how the call concluded:

• White House account: A US official claimed Trump completely "steamrolled" the 'Israeli' Prime Minister, stating that Netanyahu ultimately backed down, saying, "OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of."
• Prime Minister's account: Netanyahu released a public statement presenting a far more defiant posture. He insisted he told Trump that 'Israel' would continue to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks did not cease, and that operations in southern Lebanon would proceed unabated. "Our position remains the same," Netanyahu claimed.

Axios reported that Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment regarding the leaked details of the call.

Iraqi Airways has announced the resumption of its flights to Beirut, according to the Iraqi News Agency.

The airline had suspended flights to the Lebanese capital on Monday due to security concerns and regional developments following the recent 'Israeli' escalation in Lebanon.

UK lawmaker Zarah Sultana has urged the government to reverse its travel ban on political commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur.

In a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Sultana argued that the ban is “part of a wider and deeply alarming pattern in which pro-Palestine voices are subjected to disproportionate scrutiny, restriction and intimidation”.

Sultana also criticized the UK government's approach in a post on X, contrasting the reported ban with the reception given to Isaac Herzog during a visit to Downing Street. She noted that Herzog’s statements were cited in proceedings before the International Court of Justice genocide case concerning 'Israel'.

Opposition figures in 'Israel' have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following reports that a planned strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs was halted after a request from the United States.

The opposition described Netanyahu as a “puppet,” intensifying political pressure on the government amid ongoing regional escalation.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he held a phone call with Netanyahu and that 'Israel' subsequently refrained from targeting Beirut. He did not provide additional details on the scope or timing of the reported operation.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander, Esmaeil Qaani, said ongoing 'Israeli' military operations in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip could prompt Iran and its regional allies to create a similar traffic situation in both the Bab al-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state media.

Qaani said the “resistance axis” may expand support across multiple fronts in response to what he described as 'Israeli' actions backed by the United States. He warned that developments in Lebanon and Gaza could lead to increased pressure on strategic maritime corridors.

US President Donald Trump said he believes Washington and Tehran could reach an agreement within the next week to extend the current ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.

Speaking to ABC News, Trump said he has not yet approved a memorandum of understanding related to reopening the strait, adding that negotiators are still working through several outstanding issues.

Hezbollah says it targeted 'Israeli' soldiers in the 'Israeli' city of Ma’alot-Tarshiha and southern Lebanon’s Odaisseh.

For coverage of the previous day - visit the link below.

Read more: Day 94 | Iran signals progress in US talks as 'Israel' pushes deeper into Lebanon