Trump warned Iran it must move fast toward a peace deal or face destruction, as Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded and Lebanon ceasefire continues to fray.

Earlier:

Summary:

  • Trump posted a stark warning to Iran on Truth Social, saying Tehran must move quickly or there would be nothing left of it, according to the post. The war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
  • The conflict has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil exports pass in peacetime, with peace negotiations stalled since a truce was agreed on April 8.
  • Iran has conditioned any broader peace agreement on a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon, where its ally Hezbollah fired around 200 projectiles at Israel over the weekend despite an extended truce, per an Israeli military official.
  • Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Sunday killed five people including two children, with Lebanese authorities reporting more than 2,900 deaths in Lebanon since the war began, including around 400 since the April 17 truce took effect.

President Donald Trump issued one of his starkest warnings yet to Iran on Sunday, saying Tehran must move quickly toward a peace agreement or face total destruction, as diplomatic efforts to end a war now stretching into its fourth month showed no sign of breaking through.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that the clock was ticking for Iran and that time was of the essence, language that reflects mounting frustration in Washington at Tehran's refusal to accept a settlement on American terms. The warning came as both sides remain locked in a position that has resisted weeks of attempted mediation.

The conflict began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched major strikes against Iran, triggering a war that has shaken the broader Middle East, disrupted global energy markets, and drawn neighbouring Lebanon into a deadly parallel confrontation. A truce between Washington and Tehran took effect on April 8, but peace negotiations have since stalled, with sporadic attacks continuing on multiple fronts.

Central to the deadlock is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which around a fifth of global oil exports passed in peacetime, which remains effectively blockaded. Iran has also made a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon a precondition for any broader agreement with the United States, a demand that Washington and Israel have not met.

The situation in Lebanon showed no sign of stabilising on Sunday. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired around 200 projectiles at Israel and its forces over the weekend, despite Israel and Lebanon having agreed to extend their ceasefire. New Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Sunday killed five people, including two children, according to Lebanese health authorities. More than 2,900 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the war, with around 400 of those deaths occurring after the April 17 truce came into effect.

With Trump signalling he may be losing patience and no tangible concessions yet on the table from either side, the prospects for a near-term resolution remain slim.

---

Trump's escalating rhetoric, combined with the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, keeps a substantial geopolitical risk premium embedded in crude. With no tangible progress toward reopening the strait, which carries around a fifth of global oil exports in peacetime, supply disruption fears remain the dominant price driver. The resumption of active hostilities in Lebanon, despite a nominally extended ceasefire, adds a further layer of instability across a region that markets had hoped was edging toward de-escalation. Any signal that Trump is moving from rhetoric toward renewed military action would likely trigger an immediate and sharp move higher in oil prices.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

from Investinglive RSS Breaking News Feed https://ift.tt/nw2RySa
via IFTTT