Trump vows Mideast deal is on, calls for no more attacks

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said Israeli strikes on Beirut 'should not have happened' as he vowed a regional peace deal was at hand, though he did not confirm his earlier claim it would be signed during the day.
'We are very close to a deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,' Trump said on social media. 'This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let's not blow it!'
Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, killing three people, in response to what it said was Hezbollah fire at northern Israel, an exchange that Trump said 'should not disrupt' progress towards a pact.
'This morning's attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day,' Trump wrote, possibly a reference to his hopes of a signing on Sunday, his 80th birthday.
'There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel.'
Trump, who has repeatedly declared a deal with Iran was all but concluded, had said on Saturday that the framework accord was scheduled to be signed on Sunday.
Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said there was 'no point' in continuing peace talks with Washington after the strike. Tehran insists a ceasefire in Lebanon must be part of any deal.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have warned that Israel would strike south Beirut if the Iran-backed Hezbollah group targets northern Israeli communities, a position they say has the backing of Washington.
The Israeli military earlier on Sunday said three suspected Hezbollah drones struck northern Israel in separate incidents, causing no casualties. Hezbollah on Sunday claimed several attacks on Israeli troops who have invaded south Lebanon, but none on north Israel.
A statement from the foreign ministry of Pakistan, which has been a key mediator between the warring parties, had also said that the deal's signing was planned for Sunday. But Iran's Fars news agency, citing 'a well-informed source close to the Iranian negotiating team', reported on Sunday that Tehran had 'not yet taken or announced its final decision'.
Since imposing its blockade on the strait — which has thrown global markets into turmoil — Iran has demanded vessels obtain permission from its armed forces before transiting the waterway, and has established a new body to oversee it and collect tolls.
The US has responded with its own blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said on Friday that the deal on the table called for the lifting of the US naval blockade.
Another key sticking point in the talks has been the fate of Iran's nuclear programme, particularly its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — believed to have been buried by US strikes last year.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, but the US, Israel and other Western governments suspect it of seeking a bomb. — AFP