US president says ‘all sides should stand down’ as mediators seek to conclude preliminary US-Iran peace deal negotiations

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump called for restraint on Sunday after Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut, as mediators sought to reach a preliminary peace deal between Iran and the US to definitively end the three-month war in the Middle East.

Trump played down new Israeli strikes but said “all sides should stand down”.

US president says in online post he reserves ‘ultimate alternative’ if Tehran refuses to sign agreement

Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US is set to sign a new agreement with Iran the following day, claiming that the deal would prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, as well as reopen the strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that Iran “no longer want a Nuclear Weapon, nor will they have one, either through purchase, development, or any other form of procurement”.

US president dismisses Iranian media reports agreement is close, despite earlier suggesting a deal could be signed this weekend

Prospects for an immediate end to the war between Iran and the US remained uncertain on Friday amid a chaotic series of conflicting claims and counter-claims by US and Iranian officials about ongoing negotiations.

Donald Trump seemed to distance himself from his earlier comments that suggested a preliminary agreement could be signed as soon as this weekend, with a series of angry social media posts describing the Iranians as “very dishonorable people to deal with”.