The United States and Iran appear to be closing in on a deal to end open hostilities, but the situation remains volatile as Israel escalates its war against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A senior official with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that renewed war with the U.S. is unlikely, but stressed Iran is ready to defend itself. Meanwhile, a deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council indicated that the fate of Iran's 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium is not on the negotiation table, contradicting earlier claims by President Trump.
President Trump is set to convene his Cabinet at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the Iran war. The emerging deal is drawing criticism from some supporters who fear it will embolden Iran without fully addressing its nuclear program.
On the Lebanon front, Israeli strikes killed 31 people on Tuesday, according to Lebanese officials. The Israeli military has expanded ground operations beyond the so-called "Yellow Line" deeper into southern Lebanon, and issued evacuation warnings for at least 50 towns and villages.