Crisis en Oriente Medio en vivo: Trump dice que la versión de Irán del acuerdo de paz no tiene ninguna relación con la verdad

The US military's Central Command has confirmed that its forces have downed Iranian drones it said were trying to hit commercial vessels in the strait of Hormuz.

Centcom's post on X says:

Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues unimpeded. The international trade corridor remains open for transit.â€

US forces shot down multiple Iranian one-way attack drones heading towards the strait of Hormuz, Reuters is quoting a source as saying, in the latest military flare-up even as Washington and Tehran cite progress in peace talks.

The source, who was familiar with the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the drones had posed a threat to commercial traffic.

Donald Trump had warned Iran earlier on Friday against firing more drones at ships attempting to transit the strait, saying Tehran “better get their act together, and FAST!â€

Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups have delivered an appeal in France to urge the international community not to abandon a two-state solution, as Paris seeks to keep the issue alive amid the Middle East war.

The meeting on Friday brought together foreign ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries alongside civil society groups. It marks one year since the UN-backed New York declaration that set out a roadmap towards Palestinian statehood and prompted about a dozen countries – including France, the UK, Australia and Canada – to recognise a Palestinian state.

“We could find every reason in the world to give up. But you are here! Your testimonies alone are grounds for hope and action,†France's foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, told 250 civil society representatives from both sides.

France refuses to let the side of war prevail over the side of peace.â€

The gathering ended with an eight-point “call for action†urging a permanent ceasefire, a halt to settlements, Gaza reconstruction, governance reforms and stronger international backing for civil society, Reuters reports.

It will be delivered to the G7 leaders who meet in the French Alps from Monday.

What exactly's in the potential deal between the US and Iran as it stands?

Draft terms described to Reuters by multiple sources indicate the US would begin releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on its oil exports, in return for Iran opening the strait of Hormuz.

Iran's nuclear program would be addressed during a 60-day period of talks. A senior Trump administration official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed.

The terms also include an inspection regime to ensure compliance over the long term.

But Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told state television that Iran, which sources said had not accepted the dismantling of its nuclear program, wanted to retain the uranium in diluted form. He said:

For Tehran, the only preferred solution for its highly enriched uranium stockpile is down-blending the material.â€

The proposals include discussion of possible war reparations for Tehran and dropping longstanding US demands for limits on Iran's missile program, Reuters quoted the sources as saying. The US official disputed that account.

“None of their money released until they perform. Strait of Hormuz will be open. No Iran funding of terrorist groups,†said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

This is what they have agreed to. This is a performance-based deal.â€

The negotiation process to date has been characterised by claim and counter-claim from both sides.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the foreign minister of India, said on Friday that he has spoken to US secretary of state Marco Rubio about the three Indian seafarers who were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz.

“I reiterated India's strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners,†Jaishankar posted on X. “Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.â€

Read more about the strikes here:

• US president Donald Trump had earlier reposted a social media post by the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi that said a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran war had “never been closerâ€. Araqchi echoed that sentiment on Iranian state TV a few hours later, but also repeated some points about the agreement that Trump had previously declared “fake newsâ€.

• One of those points was about the strait of Hormuz – while both the US and Iran agree that it will reopen once the memorandum is signed, Araqchi said transit through the strait would be under Iranian management. “Our sword will always hang over the strait of Hormuz,†he said.

• Araqchi also said the agreement did not include anything about Iran's nuclear programme and that nuclear talks with the US will only take place at a later stage. Trump has been adament that the interim deal includes Iran giving up its nuclear programme entirely and the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he is “in full agreement†with Trump to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

• Araqchi also said that ending the war in Lebanon was part of interim deal, which would mean Israel's withdrawal from occupied areas. Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, had said earlier today that Israel would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.

• Switzerland has offered to host the peace deal signing ceremony after a number of US media outlets cited sources who said it may happen in Geneva ahead of (or during) the G7 summit that begins in France on Monday. Araqchi said that the signing would take place “digitallyâ€, with each side signing remotely.

• Hezbollah said on Friday that its fighters had confronted Israeli forces advancing towards a southern Lebanese town, as Israel pressed on with its strikes in Lebanon. In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters first targeted Israeli troops advancing towards Majdal Zoun, around five kilometres (three miles) from the western side of the border, on Thursday evening “with repeated rocket barrages, forcing them to retreatâ€.

• The Israeli military said it struck 310 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past week, as it claimed to have killed “80 terroristsâ€. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also revealed it conducted a raid in the southern Lebanese village Dibbine several weeks ago.

• Global oil prices fell on Friday to lows not seen since the first week of the Iran crisis after Donald Trump claimed he was close to reaching a peace deal with Tehran. The price of Brent crude began to tumble from about $93 a barrel in overnight trade after the US president called off further military strikes against Iran which were scheduled for the evening.

Donald Trump has said the US and Iran are on the verge of a peace agreement. Oil prices are down, and the stock market is up. This comes only hours after Trump warned Iran was about to be struck “VERY HARDâ€, a threat that had sent oil prices up and stocks down.

It has been another ride on the Trump rollercoaster, keeping traders on edge, most of the world poorer, and people of the Middle East constantly whiplashing between fear and hope. But whether the ride veers up or down, the management always makes money.

This is the 39th time that the president has declared US-Iranian talks to be on the point of fruition (other counts have the figure higher – it depends on what you term a prediction or just a hint). On five of those occasions, the promise of peace has involved walking back the threat of mass devastation, including the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure, a near-certain war crime if carried out.

While Abbas Araqchi told Iranian state media that the agreement with the US includes ending the war in Lebanon – which means the withdrawal of Israel from occupied areas – Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, posted on X earlier today that Israel would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.

Though Donald Trump was adament that the interim deal included Iran giving up its nuclear program, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian state media that nuclear talks with the US will only take place at a later stage, Reuters reports.

The talks will not proceed until the proposed interim agreement is implemented. Araqchi added that a memorandum of understanding has not yet been signed and could still change.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian media that while the interim deal between the US and Iran will include reopening the strait of Hormuz, sovereignty of the strait belonged to Iran and Oman.

Management of the strait wil not return to the pre-war era, Araqchi said – Iran will secure safe passage of the ships.

Donald Trump had earlier today dismissed Iranian media reports that Iran would not cede control of Hormuz under the agreement as “fake newsâ€.

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, is speaking to Iranian media and saying that an end of war on all fronts – including Lebanon – will be announced as part of the deal, Reuters reports.

An end of war in Lebanon, Araghchi said, means Israel's withdrawal from occupied areas.

More to come.

Donald Trump spoke on Thursday with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the latest efforts to reach an agreement with Iran, a senior US administration official told the Associated Press.

The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said that the US administration is stressing to Israeli officials that any deal will require Iran to begin delivering on concessions in the deal before Tehran receives any potential benefits from the settlement.

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, sources told Reuters, in a tactical shift after weeks of Iranian attacks on the wealthy Gulf Arab state during the US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic.

Word of the move coincides with the final stages of broader negotiations between Tehran and Washington on ending the war, talks that diplomats say could involve the release of tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks under US sanctions.

Two regional sources told Reuters the UAE had agreed to release a total of $10 billion, more than $3 billion of which had already been delivered. Two other sources with knowledge of the arrangement put the total funds involved at $20 billion, adding that the move had been agreed in return for a halt to Iranian attacks on the UAE.

We reported earlier that a number of US media outlets were citing sources who were saying that the peace deal signing ceremony may happen in Geneva, Switzerland ahead of (or during) the G7 summit that begins in France on Monday.

AFP is now reporting that the Swiss foreign ministry is offering to host the signing.

The ministry told AFP that it “has proposed Switzerland as the venue for a possible signing, should the parties agree to itâ€.

“Switzerland is fully engaged. We are in close contact with the United States and Iran,†the ministry said, adding that it was playing an active role “to support efforts toward a memorandum of understanding intended to consolidate the truce and pave the way for de-escalation in the context of the conflict between Iran and the USAâ€.

Meanwhile, Esmaeil Baqaei, the spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, told Reuters that he cannot comment on a time or place for the signing of the memorandum of understanding before a decision is reached in Iran.

An anonymous senior US official told Reuters on Friday that though “we're not quite at the finish line yetâ€, the US is “very close†to resolving the conflict with Iran.

The terms of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) accomplish the core aims of Donald Trump and his administration, the senior official said. This includes:

• Reopening the strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports

• Dismantling Iran's nuclear program and destroying its highly enriched uranium, which would then be taken out of the country

• Relieving some economic pressures, including unfreezing assets and lifting some sanctions

“The Iranians don't get anything upon the signing of the MOU or upon the negotiation itself,†the official said.

“They get rewarded economically for complying with their obligations under the deal. So if they turn over the nuclear material as promised, they'll get something. If they dismantle their nuclear program or their nuclear facilities, they'll get something else.â€

Here are some images coming out Lebanon today:

• Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a final, agreed text of a peace deal between the United States and Iran had been reached. Islamabad is working with both sides to finalise next steps, Sharif added in an X post.

• US president Donald Trump has reposted a social media post by the Iranian foreign minister (see our previous post here). Abbas Araqchi had said a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran war had “never been closerâ€.

• An emerging deal between the United States and Iran is “performance-basedâ€, a senior Trump administration official said on Friday. They added that Tehran will get none of its frozen assets until it carries out its part of the agreement.

• Trump dismissed Iranian media reports on an imminent deal with the US as “fake newsâ€, saying they were not the terms Washington agreed to. Several Iranian media outlets have been reporting what they described as details of a draft proposal being reviewed by Iran's leadership. Some of the terms of the agreement, according to the reports, include Iran's control of the strait of Hormuz and postponed discussions on its nuclear programme (see posts at 12:49 and 09:32).

• The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he is “in full agreement†with Donald Trump to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

• Hezbollah said on Friday that its fighters had confronted Israeli forces advancing towards a southern Lebanese town, as Israel pressed on with its strikes in Lebanon. In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters first targeted Israeli troops advancing towards Majdal Zoun, around five kilometres (three miles) from the western side of the border, on Thursday evening “with repeated rocket barrages, forcing them to retreatâ€.

• The Israeli military said it struck 310 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past week, as it claimed to have killed “80 terroristsâ€. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also revealed it conducted a raid in the southern Lebanese village Dibbine several weeks ago.

• Global oil prices fell on Friday to lows not seen since the first week of the Iran crisis after Donald Trump claimed he was close to reaching a peace deal with Tehran. The price of Brent crude began to tumble from about $93 a barrel in overnight trade after the US president called off further military strikes against Iran which were scheduled for the evening.

Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a final, agreed text of a peace deal between the United States and Iran had been reached.

Islamabad is working with both sides to finalise next steps, Sharif added in an X post.