President Donald Trump has not yet signed off on a proposed agreement with Iran following a two-hour meeting in the White House Situation Room, as uncertainty continues over efforts to end the conflict and ease tensions in the region. A White House official said Trump would only approve a deal that satisfies his 'red lines,' stressing that 'Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.' As negotiations remain unresolved, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) pushed back against newly imposed US sanctions, insisting it would continue overseeing vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz 'without interruption.' The authority accused Washington of attempting to gain control over the key shipping route through economic pressure after failing through military and diplomatic means. The sanctions were announced by the US Treasury Department, which alleged that the PGSA works with Iran's Revolutionary Guards to regulate maritime traffic and collect illegitimate fees from commercial vessels passing through the strategically important waterway. The move forms part of the Trump administration's broader pressure campaign against Tehran. At the same time, diplomatic efforts continued on another front, with Israeli and Lebanese military officials holding rare direct talks at the Pentagon. Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's second-ranking official, described the discussions as 'productive' and said they would help inform political negotiations expected to take place next week under the State Department's leadership. Despite those talks, hostilities persisted in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said it carried out 22 military operations against Israeli forces on Friday, targeting troops, tanks and military infrastructure. The Iran-backed group claimed it used rockets, artillery fire, guided missiles, explosive devices and 'Ababil' attack drones, and said the strikes hit several targets, including six Merkava tanks and an Iron Dome launcher, across multiple locations in southern Lebanon.
Iran's Strait of Hormuz Authority Rejects US Sanctions
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has condemned newly imposed US sanctions and said it will continue managing vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz 'without interruption.' The response came after the US Treasury Department sanctioned the authority, accusing it of working with Iran's Revolutionary Guards to control shipping through the strategic waterway and impose illegitimate fees on commercial vessels. In a post on X, the PGSA said Washington would not gain control of the Strait of Hormuz through sanctions after failing to do so through warfare and diplomacy, and vowed to continue issuing passage permits to 'non-hostile' vessels.
Israeli Troops Push Deeper into Lebanon as Military Talks Begin in Washington
Israeli forces entered the southern Lebanese village of Dibbine on Friday and carried out airstrikes that killed at least six people, as Israeli and Lebanese military officials held rare direct talks at the Pentagon aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict. The discussions, the first direct military talks between the two countries in decades, focused on regional security and efforts to strengthen a fragile ceasefire, even as fighting continued in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah claimed attacks on Israeli troops in the area, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River and advanced further into Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah Claims 22 Attacks on Israeli Troops
Hezbollah said it carried out 22 military operations against Israeli forces on Friday, targeting troops, armoured vehicles and military infrastructure across southern Lebanon, according to a report by Al Jazeera. The Iran-backed group claimed its fighters used rockets, artillery fire, explosive devices, guided missiles and 'Ababil' attack drones during the operations. Among the reported targets were six Israeli Merkava tanks, a military bulldozer, technical equipment and an Iron Dome launcher at the Ras an-Naqoura military site. Hezbollah said the attacks were carried out in several locations, including Haddatha, Yohmor al-Shaqif, Biyyada, Naqoura and the Khirbet Ma'ar area.
Trump Will Accept Only Iran Deal That Meets His Red Lines
President Donald Trump has yet to approve a proposed agreement with Iran following a meeting in the White House Situation Room, with a White House official saying any deal must satisfy the US president's conditions. Trump spent about two hours in the White House Situation Room on Friday reviewing a potential framework aimed at ending the conflict, but no final decision emerged from the meeting. Following the talks, a White House official said, 'President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,' as quoted by AFP.
US Hails 'Productive' Talks Between Israel, Lebanon Military Officials
Military officials from Israel and Lebanon held 'productive' talks in Washington on Friday, a US official said, adding that the meeting will complement upcoming diplomatic discussions. 'Today at the Pentagon, I hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon for the security track supporting the ongoing peace talks between their two countries,' Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's second-in-command, said on X. 'We held productive military-to-military discussions which will inform the Department of State-led political track next week,' he said.
