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US President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. © Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters
The US is ‘more than capable’ of restarting attacks on Iran if a deal cannot be reached, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge major differences blocking an agreement. The Pentagon chief said President Donald Trump was “patient” and wants to ensure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.
US hails ‘productive’ talks between Israel, Lebanon military officials
Military officials from Israel and Lebanon held “productive” talks in Washington on Friday, a US official said, adding that the meeting will complement upcoming diplomatic discussions.
“Today at the Pentagon, I hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon for the security track supporting the ongoing peace talks between their two countries,” Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s second-in-command, said on X.
“We held productive military-to-military discussions which will inform the Department of State-led political track next week,” he said.
It was the first meeting between Israeli and Lebanese military officials in decades.
Israeli military says projectiles launched from Lebanon at Israel
The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had intercepted several projectiles launched from Lebanon, where it is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah, but that one had hit near a town in northern Israel.
“Several projectiles launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory were identified,” the military said in a statement, adding no injuries had been reported.
“The majority of the projectiles were intercepted, and a hit was identified in the area of Kiryat Shmona,” it said.
Lebanon says rescuer among 11 killed in Israeli strikes
Israeli strikes in three areas of Tyre in southern Lebanon on Friday killed 11 people including a rescuer and a Syrian national, the health ministry said.
Eight people were wounded, including another rescuer, the ministry said, slamming the attacks as a “flagrant violation of humanitarian law”.
Trump will only accept Iran deal that ‘satisfies his red lines’
President Donald Trump will only make a peace deal with Iran if it meets all his conditions, a White House official told AFP after the US leader huddled with aides to discuss a possible agreement.
“The Situation Room meeting has concluded and lasted approximately two hours. President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,” the White House official said on condition of anonymity.
US ‘more than capable’ of resuming war with Iran, says Hegseth
The United States has more than sufficient stockpiles of weapons and is “more than capable” of resuming the war with Iran, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said in Singapore on Saturday.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary is (that) we are more than capable, our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions,” Hegseth told Asia’s premier defence summit.
Welcome to France 24’s liveblog covering events in the Middle East. You can catch up on yesterday’s newshere.
Yesterday’s key developments:
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The Trump administration placed additional sanctions on Iran as part of a sprawling economic pressure campaign, this time targeting the country’s newly created agency that is trying to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran’s foreign ministry condemned what it called violations by the US after its strikes on the southern port city of Bandar Abbas and expressed solidarity with Oman after President Donald Trump threatened to “blow them up”.
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The UN added Israel to its blacklist of perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict zones.
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US military denies that Iranian forces downed a US aircraft.
