As the United States and Iran moved closer to an agreement ending the war this weekend, Donald Trump calmed the negotiations on Sunday by saying he did not want to “rush”. However, an agreement remains possible this Monday, May 25 according to the American Secretary of State.
The essentials
- ​​The war in Iran is not finished this Monday, May 25, 2026, despite encouraging signs of obtaining an agreement. Donald Trump assured that a compromise was “widely negotiated” at the end of the weekend, but tempered enthusiasm overnight by saying he did not want to “rush”. The American Secretary of State, however, affirmed that an agreement was still possible this Monday.
- Negotiations on a peace agreement ending the war in Iran continues. The compromise would provide for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, currently blocked by Iran, according to Donald Trump, but Iranian sources assure that the strait would remain under Iranian control. On nuclear power, the agreement would imply a “commitment” from Tehran to give up its stock of enriched uranium pending a new round of negotiations organized within “60 days”. Donald Trump and Israel continue to demand an end to Iran’s nuclear program. The Tehran regime is calling for a lifting of sanctions and a thawing of Iranian assets abroad.
- In LebanonIsraeli forces and Lebanese Hezbollah continue to clash despite the ceasefire. At the time of negotiations, Iran is demanding that Lebanon be excluded from the peace agreement, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed on Sunday that Donald Trump had reaffirmed Israel’s “right” to fight in Lebanon. Direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel are also underway.
And directly
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19:10 – A series of bombings in southern Lebanon
Israeli bombings targeted several towns and villages in southern Lebanon: three people died in two cars and on a motorcycle, the Lebanese National Information Agency reported. Israel had issued evacuation orders for residents of ten localities, accusing Hezbollah of “violating the ceasefire.”
16:54 – Residents of a neighborhood in the southern Lebanese city of Tire ordered to evacuate
Arabic-speaking IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation order for residents of the Abbasiyeh neighborhood in Tire, southern Lebanon. “You are near Hezbollah-affiliated facilities and, out of concern for your safety and that of your loved ones, you must immediately evacuate these buildings,” he orders on X.
16:47 – Donald Trump calls on Muslim-majority countries to normalize relations with Israel
American President Donald Trump on Monday, May 25, 2026 called on predominantly Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, to normalize their relations with Israel as part of the Iran peace agreement. In a long message on social networks, the American president declared: “that after all the work done by the United States to try to resolve this very complex situation, all these countries should be obliged, at a minimum, to sign the agreements simultaneously of Abraham.
16:08 – Why are oil prices falling sharply?
This Monday, May 25, oil prices fell sharply against a backdrop of increased market optimism in connection with a possible peace agreement between the United States and Iran, and despite the blocking points on the Strait of Hormuz. Around 11:50 GMT, Brent fell by 6.07%, to $97.25 per barrel, while light American crude known as American West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 6.09%, to $90.72 per barrel. The two main oil benchmarks hit their lowest session since May 7, at 97.11 and 90.32 dollars respectively, reports France 24.
14:23 – Two Israeli ministers call for resuming “intensive war” against Lebanon
While negotiations are underway between Washington and Tehran, but also between Israel and Lebanon, two far-right Israeli ministers are calling for intensifying the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. One of them calls for a heavy strike on Beirut, the other defends the idea of conquering more land.
“It is time for the Prime Minister to bang his fist on the table in front of Donald Trump and announce to him that Israel is returning to the war in Lebanon,” says the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir. The latter calls for “return to an intensive war”, to cut off electricity” and to “take control” of the Zahrani river which is located even further north than the Litani. “For each explosive drone, 10 buildings must fall in Beirut”, estimated for his part the Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich.
1:38 p.m. – Trump promises “excellent and meaningful” deal or “no deal”
On Truth Social, US President Donald Trump wrote of the Iran peace deal that either the compromise will be “excellent and meaningful” or “there will be no deal.” The text “will be the complete opposite of the disaster of the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration [signé en 2015, ndlr]which failed and which opened the way to nuclear weapons for Iran,” assured the President of the United States.
13:02 – An Iranian paid “navigation service” in the Strait of Hormuz
On the Strait of Hormuz, Iran said it imposes fees for “navigation services”, rather than tolls, on ships transiting the strategic passage. “The services provided, namely navigation services as well as measures necessary for the protection of the environment of the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, require the collection of certain fees,” declared the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaïl Baghaï, during a weekly press briefing. However, he assured that Iran “was not seeking to collect a toll”.
12:09 – Nuclear power absent from the draft peace agreement between the United States and Iran
The draft peace agreement does not include a nuclear component, it only includes “commitments on the part of Iran” to “never acquire nuclear weapons” and “negotiate the suspension of its uranium enrichment program as well as the elimination of its stock of highly enriched uranium”. The United States reiterated its objective of ensuring that Iran “never possesses nuclear weapons”.
But Iran gives a completely different version of the agreement. The Iranian Tasnim news agency indicates that “the current phase is limited to the question of the end of the war.” Iran “has not accepted any measures in the nuclear field” for the moment and assures that “all questions concerning nuclear power have been postponed until later”. Fars, the other Iranian agency adds that Iran “has no obligation, within the framework of this agreement, to give up its nuclear stocks, to withdraw its equipment, to close its installations, nor even to undertake not to manufacture a nuclear bomb”.
11:32 – What does the draft agreement between the United States and Iran contain?
The draft peace agreement between the United States and Iran is being finalized according to the American media Axios. The text would provide for an extension of the ceasefire for a period of 60 days during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the Tehran regime and accessible without toll. Iran, however, claims control of the strait even after the reopening. In return, the United States would lift the blockade of Iranian ports and “grant waivers to certain sanctions in order to allow Iran to freely sell its oil.” Certain frozen Iranian assets would also be released.
This 60-day ceasefire would be “renewable by mutual consent”, but it would not lead to the departure of American forces who plan to stay “in the region” and withdraw “only if a definitive agreement is reached”.
11:01 – Iran has “no guarantee” that the United States will respect a possible peace agreement
The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, who discussed progress on a peace agreement, also indicated that there was “no guarantee” that the United States would keep its commitments in the event of signing an agreement. The Iranian diplomat does not only doubt the United States, but also Israel which could “compromise the ongoing talks”, he declared at a press conference in comments reported by Al Jazeera. The Jewish state “is doing everything possible to undermine the agreement and we expect Israel to repeat some of these actions throughout the negotiation process,” continued Esmaeil Baghaei.
09:45 – Iran recognizes progress, but excludes the signing of an “imminent” agreement
The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei affirmed that his country had “reached a conclusion on a large part of the topics of discussion” with the United States this Monday during a press conference covered by Al Jazeera. The minister added, however, that this did not mean “that the signing of an agreement is imminent.” According to him, the discussions concern the “end of the war”, but not the “nuclear question”.
09:21 – Where is the United States in negotiations on a peace agreement with Iran?
Donald Trump blew hot and cold on the negotiations for a peace agreement ending the war in Iran over the weekend. On Saturday he was very optimistic and assured that a compromise was “widely negotiated”, but on Sunday he tempered the enthusiasm by calling on the American negotiators to “take their time” and not to “rush”. In parallel with these changing discourses, negotiations continue but still seem to come up against blocking points, including the nuclear issue.
Despite everything, the American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio considered an agreement possible on Sunday and during the night from Sunday to Monday, in the absence of news, he assured that an agreement was still possible this Monday, May 25. “We thought we would have news last night, maybe today (Monday), I wouldn’t get too far ahead of myself on that,” declared the American Secretary of State from New Delhi.
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Learn more
The start of the war in Iran, launched by the United States and Israel
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a joint military strike operation on Iran. On the Israeli side, the operation is called “Roaring Lion”, on the American side “Epic Fury”. The objectives range from the overthrow of the regime to the weakening of the Iranian nuclear program, including the destruction of the military capabilities of the Islamic Republic, judged as a threat, in particular by Israel.
In addition to targeting the Iranian arsenal, the Israeli-American coalition will lead a campaign to eliminate Iranian leaders. A significant number of political figures from the regime were killed in the first hours of the conflict, including the supreme guide Ali Khamenei. His son Mojtaba Khamenei, who took over on March 8, 2026, was also targeted and his state of health will quickly become the subject of speculation.
Iran’s response and the contagion in Lebanon and the Middle East
From February 28, 2026, Iran responded to strikes by the United States and Israel, by launching hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles towards Israel and towards American military bases in the Gulf, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
On the night of March 1 to 2, in response to the death of Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, launched salvos of rockets and drones from Lebanon towards northern Israel. The Israeli army called this offensive an “official declaration of war” and launched a vast bombing campaign in Lebanon.
On March 2, 2026, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, instantly blocking numerous cargo and oil ships, and suspending a significant portion of global oil traffic. The International Energy Agency called the shutdown “the largest supply disruption in history.”
