Trump Decides Against Iran Deal as Military Tensions Remain High
President Trump met with advisers Friday to decide on a potential ceasefire and nuclear talks with Iran, but has not yet announced his decision. The U.S. military remains ready to resume combat in the Persian Gulf if needed, with a U.S. warship having disabled an Iranian-bound vessel just days earlier.
Ceasefire Talks at an Impasse
President Donald Trump is considering a tentative agreement that would open the Strait of Hormuz and start nuclear talks with Iran, but he has not given any indication of a decision after he met with advisers Friday. The officials spoke for roughly two hours, according to a person familiar with the matter, but no announcement has been made since the meeting's conclusion. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Friday that Iran and the US are still in contact, but a memorandum of understanding between the two nations has not yet been finalized. There has been no definitive word that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has approved a potential deal.
U.S. Military Prepared for Further Combat
The US military is ready to resume combat in the Persian Gulf if required and is more strongly placed to do so than on day one of the conflict, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Saturday. The US military on Friday disabled a Gambian-flagged vessel that was heading to Iran by firing a missile into its engine room, US Central Command announced Saturday.
Global Economic Impact
The Iran war is having a disproportionate impact on the world's most vulnerable nations due to higher fuel and fertilizer prices and risks to jobs and livelihoods, several international economic organizations have warned. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, Iran's new body to force shippers to comply with its rules around the Strait of Hormuz, has vowed to continue its operations "without interruption" after being added to the US Treasury sanctions list.
Regional Spillover Effects
The ongoing conflict has sparked additional regional violence. More strikes were reported in southern Lebanon with civil defense teams recovering the bodies of four people, including children, after an airstrike hit a residential house in the town of Adloun. Another airstrike on the outskirts of Adloun resulted in the deaths of eight Syrian nationals.