US President Donald Trump has claimed there is a 'good chance' a peace deal in the Iran war could be reached in 'two or three days,' speaking to reporters after attending the NBA Finals in New York. He said negotiators are in the 'final throes' of an agreement.

Trump alleged that Iran and Israel have agreed to halt attacks through his mediation, and that the Strait of Hormuz will 'open up immediately upon signing' of a deal. However, Tehran has linked any deal with the US to a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel is at war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, a new study by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) found that 2025 saw more state conflicts than any year since World War II, and was the third-deadliest conflict year since the Cold War. The number of conflicts in the Middle East rose from 10 in 2024 to 13 in 2025, the highest since 1946.

PRIO researcher Siri Aas Rustad reportedly described Israel as 'clearly one of the most aggressive countries in the world at the moment' due to its involvement in conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Trump also said two crew members of a US Army Apache helicopter that went down near the Strait of Hormuz 'were fine' and uninjured. The cause of the crash remains unclear.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if Tehran 'makes the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force.' The situation remains tense despite the purported pause in strikes.

Source: www.dw.com