WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—United States (US) President Donald Trump insisted on Sunday that a deal to end the Middle East war was just “hours” away, angrily blaming Israel for delaying its signing with an airstrike on Beirut that drew threats of retaliation from Iran.

Trump has pledged that the agreement will be signed Sunday — his 80th birthday — while Tehran has declined to offer a clear timeline, though both sides have signalled that diplomatic channels remained open.

Tehran has long demanded that any agreement to halt the war must include the parallel conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been pursuing a campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah.