By The US and Iran appear close to a peace deal as fighting continues in southern Lebanon
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Nabatieh. (Reuters: Stringer)
In short:
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says a deal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East is closer than “ever before” and is expected to be finalised within 24 hours.
Lebanon reported Israeli strikes on the country’s south as the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for more than 20 locations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi earlier said Iran was the “winner” of the war, and that the deal would also end fighting in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s state media has reported Israeli strikes on the country’s south, as Pakistan says a US-Iran peace deal signing is expected within 24 hours.
The strikes, on Saturday local time, came shortly after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for 20 locations including the city of Nabatieh ahead of raids there.
Fighting continued in southern Lebanon on Saturday. (Reuters: Stringer)
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli airstrikes hit several areas covered by the warning, including the villages of Rihan and Sujud, located not far from Nabatieh.
The Israeli army warning urged residents to “evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River”, around 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the southern border with Israel.
The Israeli army last month declared all areas south of the river “combat zones”, and has since been striking the area.
Peace deal expected to be finalised ‘in the next 24 hours’
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the United States and Iran have agreed to a framework for a peace deal to end the months-long conflict in the Middle East, with the deal expected to be signed within 24 hours.
“We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalisation likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical level talks next week,” Mr Sharif said in a post on X.
“We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace,” he said.
Mr Sharif thanked both Washington and Tehran “for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations”, which Pakistan has been mediating.
In a further development, Iran’s foreign ministry said the exact timing of the signing of the Islamabad memorandum would not be on Sunday.
According to state media, spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the possibility of signing the deal in the coming days could not be ruled out.
But he added that caution was needed regarding any comment on the signing date due to the hesitation of the other side.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that while changes to the deal were still possible, the tentative agreement showed his country had emerged stronger from the conflict.
“Iran is the winner of the war with the US,” he said on state television on Friday.
Mr Araqchi said the agreement would also end the war in Lebanon.
Iran sets date set for late supreme leader’s funeral
The funeral for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in the northeastern city of Mashhad on July 9, state media reported on Saturday.
Khamenei was killed in Israeli and US strikes on Iran in February.
His death marked the end of more than three decades at the helm of the Islamic Republic.
His son, Mojtaba, succeeded him as supreme leader in early March, the third since the establishment of the Islamic republic in 1979.
AFP/Reuters
Originally published on www.abc.net.au — View original