Iran US Israel War News Live: Trump Says Strait of Hormuz Blockade Will Continue Until Iran Deal Is Signed

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah of trying to drag Lebanon “back into chaos and destruction”.

Rubio criticised what he called Hezbollah’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government” after the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, said people had the right to protest against the Lebanese government.

Qassem’s remarks came after Israeli strikes and fresh US sanctions targeting Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-linked financial institution that provides interest-free loans to Shia Muslim communities affected by Lebanon’s economic crisis.

Global oil prices fell by more than five per cent on Monday after signs emerged that diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran could continue.

Asian markets also opened higher amid hopes that tensions in the Middle East may ease if both countries move closer towards a settlement after months of conflict.

Iran has not officially responded to Trump’s latest remarks. However, Tasnim news agency, which is linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, reported that major differences still remain between both sides.

According to the report, Tehran is continuing to demand the release of frozen Iranian funds as part of any future agreement with Washington. The agency also claimed that the United States was still blocking parts of a possible deal.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said Washington would not rush into a deal with Iran despite growing speculation over a possible breakthrough in the ongoing conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had asked US officials to take their time during negotiations with Tehran. He also stated that the US blockade on Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz would continue until an agreement is formally “reached, certified, and signed”.

“Both sides must take their time and get it right,” Trump wrote.