US and Iran on Brink of Historic Peace Deal as Israeli Strikes in Beirut Threaten Ceasefire

After more than 100 days of direct military conflict, the United States and Iran are on the verge of signing a historic peace agreement brokered by Pakistan. US President Donald Trump announced that the final memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, marking an end to hostilities and paving the way for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.[1][4]

However, the fragile diplomatic breakthrough faces an immediate crisis. Hours before the expected signing, Israeli forces launched deadly airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. The strikes targeted a five-story apartment building, killing at least three people and wounding 16 others, according to the Lebanese health ministry.[2][6]

The sudden escalation drew a rare public rebuke from the US President, who has been pushing heavily for the treaty's completion. Trump took to social media to urge restraint from all parties, warning that the region was "very close to a Deal" and pleading with the combatants, "Let's not blow it!"[2][5]

The core terms of the proposed agreement offer significant concessions from both sides. According to draft details, the US will immediately unfreeze $24 billion in Iranian assets, lift crippling sanctions on Iran's oil and petrochemical exports, and end the naval blockade of Iranian ports. In exchange, Iran has agreed to permanently abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapon and lift its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for the global economy.[1][4]

Addressing Iran's existing nuclear infrastructure, Trump stated that the US intends to extract and destroy Iran's highly enriched uranium "at an appropriate time." The president suggested that US B-2 bombers would eventually be used to retrieve the nuclear material buried deep in underground granite facilities so it can be downblended and destroyed, though no specific timeline was provided for this operation.[4]

The diplomatic heavy lifting has been led by Pakistan, which stepped in as the primary mediator after months of stalled talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the final text had been agreed upon and that his government was preparing the infrastructure for an electronic signing, which is expected to be followed by technical-level talks next week.[1][4]

Despite the optimism in Washington and Islamabad, the Israeli government remains deeply opposed to the framework. Sidelined during the negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defied US pressure to halt military operations in Lebanon. Netanyahu's office stated that the Beirut strikes were a necessary response to Hezbollah launching three projectiles into northern Israel, asserting that Israel will not tolerate fire on its territory regardless of the broader peace talks.[2][6]

The conflict in Lebanon remains a major sticking point. Iranian negotiators have insisted that a ceasefire in Lebanon must be included in the final US-Iran deal. Israeli troops have pushed their ground invasion deeper into southern Lebanon than at any point in the last quarter-century, and it remains unclear if the proposed treaty mandates an Israeli withdrawal.[2]

Resistance to the deal is also mounting within Iran. Hardline political figures are mounting a vociferous campaign to reject the agreement, arguing that the terms amount to capitulation. They contend that reopening the Strait of Hormuz deprives Tehran of its most potent geopolitical leverage, while expressing deep skepticism that the US will actually deliver on the promised sanctions relief.[3]

The Israeli strike on Beirut has only emboldened these hardline voices. Following the attack, Brigadier General Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a senior Iranian military commander, warned that the bombing would not go "unanswered." Meanwhile, Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf suggested there was "no point" in continuing talks with Washington if Israeli strikes on Lebanese allies continue unabated.[7]

The stakes for the global economy are monumental. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months has rocked international markets, disrupting shipments of oil, natural gas, and fertilizer. Reopening the waterway is a top priority for the US and its allies, with the issue expected to dominate the upcoming Group of Seven summit.[2][4]

As the Sunday deadline approaches, the international community is watching to see if the electronic signing will proceed. Mediators are working frantically to prevent the latest cross-border violence from collapsing the 100-day ceasefire effort, hoping that the promise of economic relief and regional stability will outweigh the immediate calls for retaliation.[1][7]