US Strikes Iran, Violating Ceasefire, as Trump Demands Arab Nations Join Abraham Accords

The US has carried out strikes in southern Iran, which Iran's foreign ministry says is a gross violation of the ceasefire in place for nearly seven weeks. The US Central Command claimed the strikes were designed to protect their troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.

The strikes were reported in Iran's Hormozgan province, where Iranian media reported sounds of explosions early on Tuesday. Explosions were heard in Iran's Bandar Abbas port city and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz. The US will continue to defend their forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire, according to the US Central Command statement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that negotiating a deal to end the conflict could take a few days. Iran had sent its parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, to Qatar for talks over the possible deal with the US. Rubio noted that there was a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document.

Regarding securing a deal, Rubio said, 'It'll take a few days... The president's expressed his desire to make it – he's either going to make a good deal or no deal.' He emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz had to be open one way or the other.

Earlier, Trump demanded that Arab nations sign agreements with Israel and threatened to freeze key Gulf allies out of the discussions if they failed to do so. Trump confirmed that during a phone call on Saturday with the leaders of Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan, he pressed them to join the Abraham Accords.

Trump posted on social media, 'It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be.' Trump said he was mandatorily requesting that all countries join the accords.

Trump said, 'It should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit. If they don't, they should not be part of this Deal, as it shows bad intention.' Trump claimed Arab leaders would be honoured to have Iran join the Abraham Accords once a deal to end the war was signed – as would he. 'Wow, now that would be something special!' he said.

The US president's social media post came a day after news website Axios reported that Arab leaders were surprised when Trump asked them to sign up to the accords during a phone call about Iran over the weekend.

Middle East analysts were generally sceptical that Trump would succeed in rallying support for the Abraham Accords as part of the Iran negotiations, especially given prevailing Arab sentiment towards the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel, now a fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said a charitable interpretation of Trump's strategy was that he was trying to solve one problem by packaging it with others and bringing in more stakeholders.

Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East expert and negotiator at the US State Department, pointed to a recent joint statement by Arab nations strongly condemning Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for taunting activists on a Gaza-bound flotilla while they were in Israeli custody.

Some of Trump's political allies backed the move to pressure Arab nations on the Abraham Accords. Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator who was one of the main cheerleaders for the military campaign against Iran, called it a brilliant move and warned America's Gulf allies that there would be consequences for saying no.

Trump has long wanted Saudi Arabia in particular to join the accords and normalise its relations with Israel. Riyadh maintains that it won't do so without a meaningful and irreversible pathway towards Palestinian statehood.

The war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran, but a fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8. Most reports indicate mediators are pursuing a framework agreement that would gradually reopen the strait in return for the US easing its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and commence a 30- to 60-day period of talks on Iran's nuclear program.

In Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei affirmed there was progress in the negotiations, but said Iranian officials wouldn't react to every social media post or utterance from the American side. 'It's fair to say that we've reached understandings on many issues,' the Islamic Republic News Agency quoted him as saying. 'But whether this means an agreement is imminent is something no one can claim at this stage,' he added.

• The US carried out strikes in southern Iran, violating the ceasefire.
• Trump demands Arab nations sign agreements with Israel.
• The war between the US and Iran began on February 28.
• A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8.
• The Strait of Hormuz has to be open, according to Rubio.

The situation remains tense as the US and Iran negotiate a deal to end the conflict. The involvement of Arab nations in the Abraham Accords is a key point of contention. The world is watching as the situation unfolds. The stakes are high, and it's unclear what the outcome will be.

As the US and Iran continue to negotiate, it's unclear what the outcome will be. The situation is complex, and the stakes are high. The US and Iran have been at odds for years, and the current conflict is just the latest chapter in their tumultuous relationship. They're engaged in a difficult and sensitive process, and it's unclear when it will end.

The US has been trying to persuade Arab nations to join the Abraham Accords, but it's unclear if they will agree. The accords are a series of agreements between Israel and Arab nations that aim to normalize relations between the two. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has been hesitant to join, citing concerns about Palestinian statehood. They won't join without a meaningful and irreversible pathway towards Palestinian statehood, which is a major point of contention.

The conflict between the US and Iran has had far-reaching consequences, affecting not just the two countries but the entire region. The war has caused instability and uncertainty, and it's unclear when it will end. The situation is being closely watched by the world, and the stakes are high. The world is waiting to see what happens next.

In Australia, the situation is being closely monitored. The Australian government has been supportive of the US efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran, but it's unclear what role Australia will play in the negotiations. As the situation unfolds, Australians will be watching closely to see what happens next. They're waiting to see how the situation will develop and what the outcome will be.

The situation between the US and Iran is complex and multifaceted. The involvement of Arab nations in the Abraham Accords is a key point of contention, and it's unclear if they will agree to join. The situation remains tense, and the stakes are high. The world is watching, and it's unclear what the future holds. The situation is sensitive, and it's unclear how it will develop.

The US and Iran have been at odds for years, and the current conflict is just the latest chapter in their tumultuous relationship. The conflict has had far-reaching consequences, affecting not just the two countries but the entire region. The situation is being closely watched by the world, and the stakes are high. The world is waiting to see what happens next, and it's unclear what the outcome will be.

As the world watches, it's clear that the situation between the US and Iran is complex and multifaceted. The involvement of Arab nations in the Abraham Accords is a key point of contention, and it's unclear if they will agree to join. The situation remains tense, and the stakes are high. The world is waiting to see what happens next, and it's unclear what the future holds.

The Australian public is also watching the situation closely, wondering what the outcome will be. The Australian government has been supportive of the US efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran, but it's unclear what role Australia will play in the negotiations. As the situation unfolds, Australians will be watching closely to see what happens next. They're waiting to see how the situation will develop and what the outcome will be. The situation is being closely monitored, and the stakes are high.

The situation between the US and Iran is a complex and multifaceted one, with no clear resolution in sight. The world is watching, and the stakes are high. The situation continues to unfold, and it's unclear what the future holds. The US and Iran are engaged in a difficult and sensitive process, and it's unclear when it will end. The world is waiting to see what happens next, and it's unclear what the outcome will be.