Trump Says Negotiators Are in Final Phase of Middle East Peace Deal Talks

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that negotiators were in the "final stages" of talks for a Middle East peace deal, after Iran and Israel halted a new hostilities that threatened to reignite a months-long war.

Iran and Israel "debated back and forth and now they both agree through me to stop and we are in the final stages of what will be a very, very good deal," the US leader told reporters on his return from the NBA Finals, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (9/6)

Asked if it would take days or weeks, President Trump said it would take "two or three days."

President Trump has repeatedly said a peace deal with Tehran is close, but diplomacy has stalled and the two sides have traded fire despite an April 8 cease-fire.

Tehran has repeatedly said any deal must include Lebanon - where Israel is waging a war with Iran-backed Hezbollah - and fired missiles at Israel on Sunday.

It triggered Israeli retaliation, despite pressure from the US to hold back.

The Mullah State launched another attack before announcing the cessation of military action. Hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "the fire on the front was under control."

Tehran said on Monday it would strike back at Israel if it launched another attack on Lebanon, while Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that if Iran "makes the mistake of continuing its attacks against us, we will respond with full force."

Previously, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the campaign in Lebanon would continue and said Israel would attack the southern outskirts of Beirut, which is dominated by Hezbollah, in retaliation for any attacks on northern Israel by the militant group.

President Trump, who was reportedly growing increasingly exasperated with Netanyahu, had previously urged both sides to stop "shooting" and said that "final negotiations" towards peace would go "with consideration for the ignorance or stupidity that prevents it."

However, the Israeli Prime Minister said in a televised statement that he had told President Trump, "Israel has the full right to defend itself, and we use it as it should be."

According to Axios, Israel is preparing a massive wave of attacks against Iran before President Trump personally called Netanyahu and urged him to stop.