US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are progressing “slowly but surely” as Israel ramps up operations in Lebanon.
Published May 31, 2026
US President Donald Trump told Fox News he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, as Israeli forces claim to have captured strategic strongholds in southern Lebanon in the deepest invasion of Lebanon in 26 years.
The comments came after US media reported that President Trump asked for several amendments to the preliminary agreement with Iran during a White House meeting on Friday.
On the 93rd day of the war against Iran, as Israel expands its invasion of Lebanon, here’s the latest information on U.S.-Iran negotiations.
in iran
A senior Iranian commander warned against further attacks on the country. “The enemy must know that any invasion of our territory will be met with an even stronger response than before,” said Maj. Gen. Habibollah Sayari, deputy commander for army coordination, according to Press TV. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down a US drone that was attempting to carry out a “hostile operation” in its territorial waters. Fars news agency reported that the military unveiled its newest naval attack boat, the 27 Rajab, at a ceremony in Tehran’s Enkerab Square. The agency said the ship can achieve speeds of up to 100 knots (185 km/h) and is equipped to fire long-range cruise missiles. The US military said it had “neutralized” a Gambian-flagged ship that was attempting to sail to an Iranian port. Iran accused the United States of betraying diplomacy by continuing the naval blockade.
war diplomacy
President Trump told Fox News that he is in no hurry to reach a deal with Iran and that the United States is “slowly but surely” getting what it wants in ongoing negotiations. “The only guarantee I have is that there are no nuclear weapons,” he told his daughter-in-law Lara Trump in a Fox News interview Saturday night. The comments came as US media reported that President Trump asked for several amendments to the preliminary agreement with Iran during a meeting in the White House Situation Room on Friday. The New York Times reported that President Trump had “tightened the terms” of the potential framework. Axios reported that the president asked for “several amendments” to the preliminary agreement the envoys had reached with Iran. Iranian state media reported on Saturday that the draft memorandum of understanding with the United States includes an agreement to lift $12 billion in frozen assets. The report cites an “unofficial” draft of the memorandum, and similar content reported by state television earlier this week was dismissed by the White House as a “fabrication.”
in lebanon
The Associated Press and Reuters reported that Israeli forces had captured Beaufort Castle (also known locally as Qalat al-Shaqif) near the city of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military has issued a new warning, calling on residents to evacuate south of the Zahrani River in southern Lebanon. It said it was taking strong action against Hezbollah in the region and called on all residents south of the river to leave their homes immediately. Israeli airstrikes on Sunday morning targeted the southern Lebanese towns of Alnoun, Kfar Tebnit and Kfar Rehnman, according to Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues. Israeli artillery shelling also hit the town of Kfarjouz in the Nabatieh district and the town of Dbeibine in the Marjayoun district. Israeli military spokeswoman Ela Waweya said they had launched a “large-scale operation” in the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Sarouki areas in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military issued a “precautionary directive” following “confirmed launches from Lebanon toward several communities in northern Israel.” The military told residents to evacuate, but Israeli media soon reported that no air raid sirens had been sounded in the area. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has accused Israel of pursuing a “scorched earth policy” as the Israeli army expands its ground invasion and continues its march toward the city of Nabatiyeh.
in israel
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it was advancing into Lebanon as part of an expanded ground operation to strengthen military positions in the country’s south, where it is fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The Israeli army said in a statement that a significant number of Israeli ground soldiers had “launched an offensive operation aimed at expanding the front line of defence,” adding that the operation was expanding and troops were crossing the Litani River. The Israeli army announced on Saturday that a 21-year-old soldier had been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon. It was announced that four other people were injured in the incident.
in the US
President Trump said Saturday that the United States has deliberately refrained from targeting Iran’s military, arguing that past wars have shown the danger of dismantling the country’s institutions and military. He cited Iraq as an example of a failed U.S. approach in past conflicts. “Look at what happened in Iraq. We did something very bad. It was very stupid,” he told Fox News. Congress promoted a U.S.-Israel military integration plan that would bring the U.S. and Israeli militaries closer together and deepen cooperation in weapons research, production, and technology.
