Middle East War

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Iran war

Oil surged above $126 per barrel earlier today, its highest price in four years, as President Trump lays the groundwork for an extended naval blockade of Iranian ports. Meanwhile, the cost of the war in Iran continues to climb. A senior Pentagon official told lawmakers Wednesday the US has spent roughly $25 billion on the war since it began in late February. But sources tell CNN that's a lowball figure that does not include the cost of repairing extensive damage suffered by US bases in the region. Read more.

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🇮🇷 Diplomacy gets another chance

Iran has delivered its response to the latest U.S. changes on a draft peace plan, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• It's a signal that diplomacy is not entirely frozen, even as President Trump maintains a naval blockade and considers fresh strikes.

🚢 Iran sent the U.S. a proposal last weekend to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while postponing nuclear talks.

• On Monday, White House envoy Steve Witkoff sent amendments that reinserted the nuclear issue, according to a source with knowledge.
• Among those changes: A demand that Iran commit to not moving enriched uranium out of its bombed nuclear facilities or restart activity at those sites while negotiations continue.

🪖 Behind the scenes: Trump huddled on Iran with his top national security team for about 45 minutes yesterday afternoon.

• Top military officials briefed Trump and his team on plans for more possible military action. Go deeper.

🏛️ NEW: Trump notified Congress today that the hostilities initiated against Iran on Feb. 28 have been "terminated," though he did not rule out future military action, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.

• He's effectively resetting the clock on the War Powers Act's 60-day deadline to seek congressional approval for military hostilities. Go deeper.

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Trump "wants action"

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off Musandam, Oman, on Friday. Photo: Reuters President Trump was fed up with the "no deal, no war" stalemate in Iran. The operation he ordered yesterday to change that dynamic could ultimately lead back to war, Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo write. "The president wants action. He doesn't want to sit still. He wants pressure. He wants a deal," a senior U.S. official told Axios. The intrigue: Trump was presented with a plan on Thursday night to send naval vessels through the Strait of Hormuz to open it by force. At the last minute, he opted for a more cautious approach, at least initially. Starting today, as part of what Trump yesterday dubbed Project Freedom, the U.S. Navy will help U.S.-flagged and other commercial ships cross the strait by advising them on how to avoid mines and standing ready to intervene if Iran attacks. U.S. officials say there's no current plan for full-fledged naval escorts. Instead, Navy ships will be "in the vicinity" and at the ready, alongside U.S. military aircraft. U.S. military support will include guided-missile destroyers, drones, over 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, and 15,000 troops, CENTCOM said. Between the lines: A source close to the president described this as the "beginning of a process that could lead to a confrontation with the Iranians." The "humanitarian" mission to free ships stranded in the strait means "if the Iranians do something, they will be the bad guys and we will have the legitimacy to act," the source contended. Behind the scenes: CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper presented Trump on Thursday with a more ambitious plan to send Navy ships through the strait. A U.S. official with knowledge of that plan said the U.S. would have taken out any missiles or fast boats the Iranians launched in response, and resumed the war with full force if Iran escalated by attacking Gulf countries. The current version carries less risk of immediate escalation but could also prolong the stalemate. The big picture: The diplomacy isn't entirely frozen. Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are still exchanging drafts with Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. A senior U.S. official said: "It's either we're looking at the real contours of an achievable deal soon, or he's going to bomb the hell out of them."

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What to know as the US tries to open the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire wavers

The ceasefire in the Iran war abruptly faced its most perilous moment Monday after the United States began trying to open the Strait of Hormuz to allow hundreds of stranded commercial ships sail out. The United Arab Emirates said it came under attack for the first time since the early April ceasefire, and a British military monitor said two cargo vessels were ablaze off the UAE. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Live updates: United Arab Emirates says Iran resumed attacks as US claims progress in Strait of Hormuz Iran war has put foreign workers in the Gulf at greater risk while raising the cost of going home  As US plans fewer troops in Germany, Europe sees need for bigger role within NATO

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Strait Showdown Escalates

The US reportedly sank six Iranian military speedboats yesterday, while its ally, the United Arab Emirates, accused Iran of a drone attack, putting the four-week ceasefire between the US and Iran under strain.  The speedboats were allegedly targeting US Navy ships that were aiding commercial vessels as part of a mission President Donald Trump announced Sunday to help guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claims it struck an American warship, but the US denies this and says it successfully transited two American-flagged commercial ships through the strait. Meanwhile, the UAE said Iran launched four drones, hitting a key facility used to avoid shipping some oil through the strait. As of this writing, it is unclear whether an explosion aboard a South Korean-operated ship off the UAE was caused by Iranian fire.  Roughly 20,000 sailors have been stuck in the Persian Gulf for weeks, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Who are they?     US attempt to open Strait of Hormuz tests fragile Iran war ceasefire The Iran war risked reigniting after the U.S. tried to force open the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, though a ceasefire seemed to be holding Tuesday even after the United Arab Emirates said Iran fired missiles and drones at it. Read more. What to know: It is unclear what will follow after an American attempt to end Iran’s stranglehold on the strait by creating an “enhanced security area.” A prominent Iranian official accused the U.S. of undermining regional security with the effort and warned that Iran will respond. The U.S. military said two American-flagged merchant ships successfully transited the strait on Monday, but it remained to be seen if any more ships would cross through on Tuesday. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ World shares mixed and oil prices retreat after the latest flare-up in Iran tensions   Melkite Catholic bishops express concern over Israeli demolitions in southern Lebanon

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🇮🇷 Iran got U.S. warning

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images A high-level Trump administration official told Iran on Sunday about the impending U.S. operation to "guide" ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. The official warned Tehran not to interfere. 💥 The private message suggests the White House wanted to mitigate the risk of escalation. Despite the warning, the Iranians responded with a string of attacks on U.S. Navy ships, commercial vessels and the UAE. 🎙️ In a briefing this morning, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth downplayed the Iranian attacks and claimed the ceasefire remained in place. The U.S. operation to guide ships through the vital waterway hasn't yet meaningfully increased traffic flow. Two U.S.-flagged ships traveled through Hormuz yesterday. None have followed today, as of this morning. 🚢 For now, shipping companies don't seem to trust the administration's assurances that the strait is safely navigable. Go deeper.

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Depleted, Not Defeated (Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto / Getty)

View in browser By the United States military’s estimation, about 1,550 marine vessels—oil tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, and more—are idling in the Persian Gulf right now. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively blockaded, their crews, many of them uninvolved in the ongoing war with Iran, are slowly using up supplies as they await safe passage through the mine-filled waterway. Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. would rescue these “victims of circumstance” by guiding them out of the war zone in an as-yet-unspecified way. On Monday, though, Iran’s military rejected the plan, warning that American military forces would be attacked if they approached the strait. Both sides fired shots yesterday, although the U.S. claims that the cease-fire remains in place. The fact that Iran’s leaders are apparently willing to risk violating the delicate monthlong truce emphasizes just how fiercely they want to protect their hold over the strait. The past 65 days of war have badly punished Iran: Its leaders are dead, its navy and air force have been depleted, and its economy and infrastructure have been decimated. “If we leave right now,” Trump said last week, “it would take them 20 years to rebuild.” But amid the destruction, the country has also found new forms of leverage. Iran had not previously exercised this degree of control over the Strait of Hormuz, and before the war, the country could not have been confident that it would be able to do so. Even in its diminished state, the Iranian military has managed to deter enemy ships and outmaneuver anti-air systems, maintaining that grip on the strait while costing the U.S. billions. After the U.S. and Israel began their military action, the Iranian government said it would attack any ship that tried to sail through the strait, and began deploying mines as deterrents. Before the war, more than 130 ships passed through each day; yesterday, that number was down to three. The ships that do cross now mostly do so under the strict supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which reportedly has been demanding tolls in cryptocurrency and Chinese yuan, and rerouting traffic away from Oman, toward Iran-controlled waters. Iranian dominance over the strait may well be the new norm. On Sunday, Iran’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ali Nikzad was emphatic that the country “will not back down” from its position on the strait, “and it will not return to its prewar conditions.” That’s because the country’s restrictions on the strait have succeeded on a strategic level, creating a global energy shock and unleashing economic devastation around the world—putting massive pressure on the U.S. and Israel to come to the bargaining table. Trump has demanded that Iran “Open the Fuckin’ Strait,” but as Iran’s threats yesterday made clear, we’re a long way off from the pre-February status quo. Even when Iranian leadership has offered to reopen the strait as part of potential peace deals, as it has over the past month, it has done so with the knowledge that Iran could always reassert control. That’s exactly what happened on April 17, when the country declared the strait open to all; the next day, Iran reimposed its restrictions on passing ships, effectively closing the waterway once again. The strait is not the only tool available to Iran. As recently as this weekend, Trump said that the country has “no navy” and “no air force.” But U.S. officials told CBS in late April that they believe 60 percent of its navy is still “in existence”and two-thirds of its air force is “operational.” Although the Iranian military is indeed far weaker than the U.S. military, it has also reportedly proved scrappier and more capable than expected. Last week, the Pentagon offered its first estimate of the total cost of the war in Iran thus far: $25 billion. A single high-tech American weapon might cost millions; Iran’s signature drone—known as the Shahed-136—costs only tens of thousands, and has been threatening U.S. partners, such as Kuwait, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan, throughout the region. The anti-air munitions required to shoot them down can cost more than the Shaheds themselves. And when Shaheds do penetrate air defenses, they can be deadly. Meanwhile, the country’s “mosquito fleet” of nimble, surveillance-dodging boats has been intimidating military and commercial vessels alike, projecting Iranian power in the strait. Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command, told reporters yesterday that the U.S. “blew up” six small Iranian boats in the area—a possible example of the IRGC’s reduced capacity. More typically, Cooper explained, the Iranian military deploys “between 20 and 40 small boats” when it intends to harass vessels. But a reduction in capacity is not the same as defeat. As my colleagues Nancy A. Youssef and Jonathan Lemire reported last week, officials inside the Trump administration have admitted to being surprised at Iran’s resilience. Although Trump insists that Iran has been completely destroyed and that the war is over, reality suggests otherwise. After two months of war with a superpower, Iran is in some respects outmatched: The U.S. said it bombed more than 13,000 targets during Operation Epic Fury. Yet Iran has refused to concede, even as hundreds of its own civilians have died and the rest have suffered from an economic crisis. U.S. efforts to fully degrade Iran’s defensive capacities may ultimately end up succeeding. But the longer Iran is able to inflict economic pain across the world, and the longer its depleted defensive capabilities hold, the more evidence its leaders have that it can continue to stand firm. Related: The Iran war’s ramifications have only just begun. Iran had a doomsday weapon all along.

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US fires on Iranian oil tanker as Trump pressures Tehran for deal to end war

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military fired on an Iranian oil tanker Wednesday as President Donald Trump sought to pressure Tehran into reaching a deal to end the war. The Islamic Republic said it was reviewing the latest American proposals.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-china-may-6-2026-3d061a90ccde095178d9b988d94d08f3?

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US military says it intercepted Iranian attacks on 3 Navy ships in Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military said it intercepted Iranian attacks Thursday on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces,” highlighting the fragility of the month-old ceasefire between the two countries.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-may-7-2026-fdc6d2ae9396377919c967746fa9996b?

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US fires on and disables 2 more Iranian tankers as tensions rise in the Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers on Friday after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, reported another Iranian missile and drone attack.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-may-8-2026-6490db55a65880a61a6233eff7acc68b?

US awaiting response from Iran over proposals for ceasefire deal, says Rubio

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said that Washington is expecting a response from Iran to its proposals for an interim deal to end the conflict in the Middle East, as Iran accused the US of breaching the increasingly fragile ceasefire announced last month.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/08/us-iran-war-strait-of-hormuz-negotiations-marco-rubio?

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🇮🇷 Breaking: Iran responds to peace plan

Latest reporting from Axios' supremely wired Barak Ravid:

Iran responded today to the latest U.S. draft proposal to end the war, with Iranian state media saying negotiations will now focus on "ending the war in the region."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff met yesterday in Miami with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani as part of efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Iran.

• Why it matters: The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a one-page memo to end the war and establish a framework for more detailed negotiations. The Qataris are playing a key role in mediating between the sides.

Shortly before the Iranian response, the Qatari prime minister spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and discussed the deal, the Qatari foreign ministry said.

• Keep reading.

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Iran responds to ceasefire proposal as drones target Gulf nations

Iran has sent its response to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal to Pakistani mediators and wants negotiations to focus on permanently ending the war, Iran’s state-run media said Sunday. State TV said Iran seeks to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and ensure the security of shipping. Washington’s latest proposal had addressed a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and roll back Iran’s nuclear program, an issue that Tehran would rather discuss later. There was no immediate comment from the White House about Iran’s reply. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Iran war could make Trump’s trip to China a bit chillier than his first-term visit Alarmed ASEAN leaders adopt crisis plan to mitigate backlash from Middle East war An Iranian museum holds a rare exhibit of American art, reflecting on war

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Trump rejects Iran’s response to latest US proposal to end the war

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran sent its response to the latest U.S. proposal to end the Iran war via Pakistani mediators on Sunday, but U.S. President Donald Trump quickly rejected it in a social media post as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” — the latest setback to efforts to resolve the standoff in the Persian Gulf that has throttled shipping and sent energy prices soaring.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-war-attack-may-10-2026-f8812db41837336d816efaea7bc1c44a?

Passengers from virus-stricken cruise ship fly to home countries for monitoring

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The last remaining passengers on a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak disembarked Monday and boarded flights to more than 20 countries to enter quarantine. A French woman was the latest to be confirmed as infected, while an American was suspected of infection after initial testing.

https://apnews.com/article/hantavirus-outbreak-hondius-cruise-ship-df0e7e1fb9c7fd3e4092be06e684f644?

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Iran War Negotiations

President Donald Trump called Iran's response to the US' peace proposal "totally unacceptable." Further details on the negotiations were not publicly available as of this writing. The negotiations come amid a month-old ceasefire that President Donald Trump says remains in effect despite recent strikes. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait each said they intercepted drones yesterday, while a drone attack sparked a fire on a commercial boat near Qatar. The US and Iran exchanged strikes last week, with the US targeting Iranian-flagged ships and Iran striking US destroyers. A leaked CIA assessment last week found that Iran could weather a US blockade for four months before suffering severe economic pressure. Separately, Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed more than 30 people over the weekend, Lebanese health officials reported. The countries are slated to meet in DC on Thursday for another round of US-mediated negotiations.   Iran war President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's latest peace proposal as "totally unacceptable," underscoring that deep divisions remain over how to end the conflict. Tehran's counter-proposal called for recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and compensation, state media reported, with no mention of the nuclear program Trump wants dismantled. Read more.

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💥 Shock data: Iran's missile rebound

Classified intelligence assessments from earlier this month indicate that "Iran has regained access to most of its missile sites, launchers and underground facilities," the N.Y. Times' Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan report.

• Why it matters: "The findings undercut months of public assurances from President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who have told Americans that the Iranian military was 'decimated' and 'no longer' a threat," The Times notes.

The assessments say there's evidence that Iran restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz.

• They suggest Iran has retained roughly 70% of its prewar missile stockpile and 70% of its mobile launchers.
• It has regained access to about 90% of its underground missile storage and launch facilities.

Keep reading (gift link).

ps:"Shocking??" Not at all, I believe most never believed the bull manure that has been fed to us!!!!!

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Soaring inflation and plummeting economy test Iran’s ability to withstand war and US blockade Iranians have been hit by spiraling prices for food, medicine and other goods. At the same time, the country has seen mass job losses and business closures caused by strike damage to key industries and the government’s monthslong shutdown of the internet. Read more.

Why this matters: Iran’s rial currency has lost over half its value in the past year. The International Monetary Fund has predicted the Iranian economy will shrink by about 6 percentage points in the next year. Iran’s official statistics center reported in mid-April that annual inflation was 53.7%, while inflation for food breached 115% compared with the same period last year.    Iranian authorities have announced measures to help Iranians bear the crippling prices. But many of these policies — including a 60% hike in the minimum wage and coupon programs for essential goods — are stoking inflation, Taymur Rahmani, an economist at the University of Tehran, wrote recently in a leading business newspaper, Dunya-ye Eqtesad.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Some Japanese snack packages are turning black-and-white as Iran war depletes ink supply   Price shocks from the Iran war power solar sales in Asia

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UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, his office said Wednesday. The UAE’s official WAM news agency later denied reports of Netanyahu’s visit. Read more.

Why this matters: Netanyahu’s office said he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and that the visit “resulted in a historic breakthrough in relations.” According to WAM, the country’s relations with Israel, which were normalized in 2020, “are public and conducted within the framework of the Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Ship is reported seized off the coast of the UAE and is heading toward Iran   Netanyahu’s coalition takes first step toward new elections in Israel   A Vienna cafe offers a welcome for Israel supporters as tensions brew at the Eurovision Song Contest

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Iran’s top diplomat says a lack of trust is impeding talks to end war with the US

NEW DELHI (AP) — Iran ’s foreign minister said a lack of trust is the biggest obstacle in negotiations to end the war with the U.S., saying Friday that Tehran would be open to diplomatic help, particularly from China, to help ease tensions.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-trump-oil-hormuz-5a1d5142470e0de7349c409e2d566fce?

ps:You better believe it! But as unreliable and untrustworthy as Iran is, trump is 100s of times more untrustworthy!!!!!

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Oman caught between US and Iran after Tehran’s claims of joint strait of Hormuz plan

Oman has been caught in geopolitical crossfire after Iran said it was coordinating with the Gulf state over the future management of the strait of Hormuz, including Tehran’s plans to impose fees on commercial shipping.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/15/iran-oman-coordinating-management-strait-of-hormuz-tolls-ships?

Israeli strike kills Hamas’ military wing leader, who Israel says was an architect of Oct 7 attacks

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing who was one of the last surviving architects of the attacks that triggered the war in late 2023, the Israeli military said Saturday. Hamas confirmed the death.

https://apnews.com/article/gaza-hamas-israel-strike-2ae7c8e7a59b943a47f7a68fdc61051b?

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Drone strike sparks fire at UAE nuclear power plant in latest blow to Iran ceasefire

A drone strike targeted the United Arab Emirates’ sole nuclear power plant on Sunday, sparking a fire on its perimeter. There were no reports of injuries or radiological release, but it highlighted the risk of renewed war as the Iran ceasefire remains tenuous. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested hostilities could resume and was expected to speak with Israel’s prime minister on Sunday. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Israeli strike kills Hamas’ military wing leader, who Israel says was an architect of Oct 7 attacks WATCH: 'There is no ceasefire': Displaced people in Beirut unconvinced by extension to Israel-Hezbollah truce After bombs, blackouts and bank restrictions, Gaza’s digital workers are still coding WATCH: Hundreds attend anti-Israeli government rally in Tel Aviv USS Gerald R. Ford returns home after 11-month deployment supporting the Iran war and Maduro’s capture

 

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Iran war

President Trump says he will hold off on striking Iran for now, but warned the US is prepared for a "full, large scale assault" if a deal is not reached. This comes as a source tells CNN the US believes Iran's latest proposal to end the war did not offer big enough concessions on some key sticking points, including Tehran's nuclear enrichment program. Read more.

VISUAL: Iran war timeline and key moments, explained

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Iran's weapons

Iran is rebuilding its military capabilities much faster than expected following recent US-Israeli strikes on its weapons infrastructure. Sources tell CNN that Iran has already restarted some drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, a sign it is rapidly restoring its degraded military capabilities. Read more.

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• ✈️ Pakistan's top military commander is traveling to Tehran today in an effort to reach a deal under which the U.S. and Iran would agree to end the war and start negotiations toward a broader agreement. More from Barak Ravid.

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Trump says a deal with Iran and opening of Strait of Hormuz are ‘largely negotiated’

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran on the war, including opening the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” after calls with Israel and other allies in the region.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-united-states-war-ceasefire-negotiations-hormuz-1c283f26d037102cc5e6f798546d0e59?

ps:I'll believe it when I see it!!

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Exclusive: Trump's deal terms

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos via Getty Images

Axios' Barak Ravid reports that the agreement the U.S. and Iran are close to signing involves a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened. Iran would freely sell oil, and negotiations would be held on curbing its nuclear program. Why it matters: The deal would avoid war escalation and would decrease pressure on the global oil supply. It's unclear whether it'd lead to a lasting peace agreement that also addresses President Trump's nuclear demands. State of play: Both Trump and the mediators have indicated the deal could be announced as soon as today, though it hasn't been finalized and could still fall apart. A U.S. official provided a detailed outline of the draft. Those details haven't been confirmed by the Iranian side, though Tehran has also indicated a deal is getting close. What's in the deal Both sides would sign a memorandum of understanding lasting 60 days, extendable by mutual consent. During the 60-day period, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen with no tolls, and Iran would clear its mines in the strait. In exchange, the U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and issue some sanctions waivers to allow Iran to sell oil freely. The U.S. official acknowledged that would be a boon to Iran's economy but said it would also give significant relief to the global oil market. The official said Trump's key principle in the agreement is "relief for performance." ☢️ The draft MOU includes commitments from Iran to never pursue nuclear weapons and to negotiate over a suspension of its uranium enrichment and the removal of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the U.S. official said. Iran gave the U.S., through the mediators, verbal commitments on the scope of concessions it's willing to make on suspending enrichment and giving up nuclear material, according to two knowledgeable sources. U.S. forces would stay in the region during the 60-day period and only withdraw if a final deal is reached. Some of Iran's frozen funds could be released if it hits certain milestones, but none would be freed upfront, a U.S. official says. No sanctions would be permanently lifted before a final deal is reached. The intrigue: The draft MOU also makes clear that the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon would end. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concern about that condition during a phone call with Trump yesterday, an Israeli official said. How it happened Trump sounded out several Arab and Muslim leaders about the deal in a conference call yesterday, and all said they support it, three sources familiar with the call said. They included the UAE's hawkish president, Mohammed bin Zayed. Also on the call were the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan, all of which have been involved in the mediation efforts. 😡 Several hawkish Republicans, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), released statements opposing the terms. Get the latest.