Israel’s military warned residents of 10 villages, most of them in southern Lebanon, on Monday (May 25) to evacuate their homes ahead of expected strikes against alleged Hezbollah targets
n light of Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defence Forces are compelled to operate against it with force,” the military’s Arabic-language spokesman, Colonel Avichay Adraee, said in a social media post, listing the names of the villages.
U.S. President Donald Trump tempered expectations of a West Asia deal by saying on Sunday (May 24, 2026) he had told his negotiators not to “rush,” even after both Tehran and Washington signalled progress towards an agreement to end the war.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an announcement was possible later on Sunday (May 24, 2026) on a deal with Iran that could formally end the war in West Asia. “I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” Mr. Rubio told reporters in New Delhi.
Mr. Trump said a proposal that included opening the blockaded Strait of Hormuz was “largely negotiated”, as the U.S. and Iran sought to finalise an agreement to end the war formally.
Trump links Abraham Accords to Iran deal
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (May 25) that it should be mandatory for countries, including Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, to join the Abraham Accords en masse as part of an effort to reach a deal with Iran.
Mr. Trump said he spoke on Saturday (May 25) to leaders of those countries, as well as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which already have signed the accords, a set of agreements to normalise relations with Israel.
“I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday.
