Rubio reports 'slight progress' in Iran talks as Israeli strike kills six in Lebanon

Diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing US-Iran war inched forward on Friday (May 22), even as violence continued to claim civilian lives across the region. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was "slight progress" in mediated negotiations with Iran, as the prospect of a deal to turn a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement remains uncertain. Speaking at a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Rubio was careful to temper expectations, saying: "I don't want to exaggerate it, but there's been a little bit of movement, and that's good."

Rubio spoke days after US President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike on Iran because "serious negotiations" were underway. Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not make a deal. The US Secretary of State also confirmed that America was still waiting for Iran to respond to the Trump administration's latest terms for a potential peace deal, which were conveyed via Pakistani mediators.

Trump's decision to pursue talks has sparked tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. An official said the two leaders had a "dramatic" phone conversation on Tuesday about the Iranian negotiations, with Israel reportedly angry at Trump's efforts to strike a deal with Iran.

Meanwhile, deadly Israeli strikes continued in Lebanon. An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr killed six people, including two rescuers from the Risala Scouts association, one of them also working as a freelance photographer and a Syrian girl, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health. A double-tap strike on the Deir Qanoun–Burj Rahhal road killed the two paramedics while they were responding to an initial attack on a nearby motorcycle. The Israeli military said it killed two people who were armed and "moving in a suspicious manner."