Lebanon reports strikes on south, east as Israel issues broad evacuation warnings
Lebanon reported Israeli strikes in the country's south on Saturday, as the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for the city of Nabatieh and more than 20 other locations ahead of raids.
The latest strikes came as the US and Iran indicated they were close to reaching a deal on ending the Middle East war that could also include Lebanon, drawn into the conflict when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of its patron Tehran.
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli airstrikes had hit several areas, particularly around the southern city of Nabatieh.
Dozens protest peace deal outside Iran foreign ministry: media
Dozens protested Saturday outside a foreign ministry office in Iran's northeastern city of Mashhad, chanting slogans against top diplomat Abbas Araghchi after a televised interview in which he discussed signing a peace deal with the US.
In a video shared by Fars news agency, women in black chadors chanted "death to dishonourable Araghchi, the infiltrator" in front of the building, while waving red and black flags.
The protest comes as the peace deal touted by US President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan faces opposition from hardline Iranian figures.
Yesterday's key developments:
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that upon finalisation, a draft deal with the US would be signed "remotely", which could happen "in the coming days."
- French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot has called on the US and Iran to seize the opportunity to end a situation that is unsustainable and sign an initial peace deal.
- The United Arab Emirates has agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, four sources told Reuters, in a tactical shift after weeks of Iranian attacks on the wealthy Gulf Arab state during the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
