Israel carries out air strikes on Lebanon, state media says, as Iran claims deal with US near

19 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google Gary O'Donoghue, Senior North America correspondentand Jack Burgess Reuters Smoke billowing in southern Lebanon on Saturday after an Israeli strike Israel has carried out air strikes in the south of Lebanon after ordering people to leave about 20 locations, Lebanese state media has said. At least one person has been killed following a strike on the town of Marrakeh, in Lebanon's Tyre district, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. Israel's prime minister had previously warned his country would strike Hezbollah if it continues attacks against northern Israel. The strikes come as Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country is mediating talks between the US and Iran, wrote on X "we are closer to a peace deal than ever before". Finalisation is "likely expected in the next 24 hours", he added. Reuters A sense of normality has returned to the streets of Tehran since the April ceasefire Iran's foreign minister said earlier that a deal to end fighting with the US is close. The agreement also envisages an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Seyed Abbas Araghchi also said. Araghchi said the deal includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and told state TV it includes the lifting of a US blockade of Iran. However, he said talks on Iran's nuclear programme would begin later. US officials have confirmed some of the details of the agreement, saying economic benefits for Iran would depend on Tehran meeting its obligations. Previous reports from the US have suggested Lebanon may not be part of this deal - with Iran reportedly insisting on it. The war began with US and Israeli strikes across Iran on 28 February, prompting Iran to attack Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf - as well as effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Trump says there is "no such thing as dealing in good faith" when it comes to negotiating with the Iranians Despite having agreed a ceasefire in April, the US and Iran have exchanged intermittent fire, including two rounds of tit-for-tat strikes this week. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had cancelled "scheduled attacks" against Iran, because negotiators had "just made a great settlement" - a deal that was likely be to signed imminently. On Friday, Iranian media published some details from the alleged 14-point deal which Trump said had "nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to" and "bears no relation to the truth".