U.S.-Iran ceasefire – Israel and Hezbollah agreed to halt attacks, but Washington and Tehran are trading mixed signals on ceasefire negotiations. President Donald Trump says Iran talks are moving at a rapid pace, even as Tehran pauses them over Israeli attacks in Lebanon—setting of
For a moment, the guns seemed to slow. Israel and Hezbollah agreed to halt attacks on each other, a ceasefire step that should have bought time.
Yet by Monday, the air around the diplomacy didn’t settle. It wasn’t clear whether the U.S. and Iran were still negotiating a ceasefire after Tehran said it was halting talks over Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
President Donald Trump pushed a different message from the White House. He insisted negotiations were moving forward, saying talks with Iran were continuing at a “rapid pace.”
Tehran’s semi-official Mehr news agency, however, reported that officials were still reviewing a final draft proposal for extending the ceasefire, even though there had been earlier signals that talks could be put on hold.
That contradiction landed with force just as the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah was being implemented. One track said talks were being paused. Another said the final draft was still under review.
On the diplomatic side, the confusion took on a new edge in Washington’s relationship with Jerusalem.
Behind the scenes, there are signs of fresh friction between the U.S. and Israel. A report described a phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that grew heated. The president used expletives, the report said, to oppose planned Israeli operations in Lebanon. It also said Trump warned that further escalation could jeopardize broader negotiations in the region.
After the call, Trump posted on Truth Social that it was “productive,” and said Israeli forces would not advance on Beirut.
Netanyahu confirmed that the two spoke. But he made clear Israel is not changing course. The Israeli prime minister said the military would continue operations in southern Lebanon, and would strike targets in Beirut if Hezbollah resumes attacks on Israel.
All of it leaves the ceasefire on a knife’s edge—not just because violence can restart. but because the talks meant to freeze it are clouded by competing signals from the negotiating partners themselves: Trump’s insistence that negotiations are moving rapidly. Tehran’s claim it was halting talks over attacks. Mehr’s account of officials reviewing a final draft extension. and Netanyahu’s warning that Israel will strike Beirut if Hezbollah fights back.
In practice, the result is a tightrope moment for every side involved: Israel and Hezbollah agreed to stop firing, while U.S. and Iranian officials appear to be arguing over whether the diplomatic channel is truly open or simply paused.
Israel Lebanon Hezbollah ceasefire Iran talks U.S.-Iran negotiations Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Truth Social Beirut southern Lebanon