U.S. President Says Iran Talks Advance Slowly as Israel Expands Lebanon Operations

" He added that the sole guarantee required is the absence of nuclear weapons. U.S. media reported that the president requested several amendments to a preliminary agreement during a White House meeting on Friday. Iranian state media said a draft memorandum included the release of $12 billion in frozen assets, a claim the White House previously dismissed as a fabrication.

Israeli forces captured Beaufort Castle near Nabatieh, marking the deepest incursion into Lebanon in 26 years. The military issued evacuation orders for residents south of the Zahrani River and conducted air raids on Arnoun, Kfar Tebnit, and Kfar Remman.

Israeli troops crossed the Litani River as part of expanded ground operations against Hezbollah. One soldier was killed and four others wounded in fighting on Saturday.

A senior Iranian commander warned that further aggression would be met with a stronger response. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it shot down a U.S. drone in territorial waters and unveiled a new naval attack craft capable of 100 knots. The U.S. military said it disabled a Gambia-flagged vessel heading toward an Iranian port.

Iran accused the U.S. of maintaining a naval blockade while diplomacy continues. Congress advanced a plan to deepen military integration between the U.S. and Israel on weapons research and technology.