Chaos reigns as Donald Trump puts US military on hold, claims peace deal may be close and then says troops are on a 'moment's notice' to attack in a 'full-scale assault' - and Iran refuses surrender11:28, 19 May 2026The death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon has passed 3,000 during the Iran war as a major US-Israeli assault planned for today has been put on hold.‌Israeli shelling of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon’s Marjayoun district is ongoing this morning as strikes on Iran were shelved, it is believed, for several days.‌At least seven people were killed in Lebanon on Monday. US President Donald Trump is thought to have postponed the attack in the hope that Tehran may agree terms on its nuclear programme and open the Strait of Hormuz. He claimed “serious negotiations are taking place,” although he is known to be increasingly desperate for an off-ramp - even as Iran has attacked neighbouring UAE.‌But American forces have been warned to remain on ‘a moment’s notice’ to launch an attack. In his announcement Trump said the military had been put on hold. But he added that he had “further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault of Iran on a moment’s notice in the event that an acceptable deal is not reached.”Defiant Iran has refused to give Trump the claim of a victory by emphasising that Tehran’s involvement in settlement talks does not mean it is surrendering. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended Tehran’s taking part in the talks while rejecting suggestions that the country was giving up.‌He said: “Dialogue does not mean surrender. Iran entered negotiations with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation’s rights.” Major sticking points on any peace deal have complicated the negotiations as Iran wants Lebanon and Hezbollah to be included in any settlement.It is also believed Tehran may have told Pakistani intermediaries it may release its highly-enriched Uranium to Russia rather than the States, as demanded by Washington. Iran wants all attacks to stop in Lebanon and its home country in exchange for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the release of sanctions.‌America and Israel have not agreed to include Lebanon in any settlement with Tehran and the two sides are talking via Pakistan as an intermediary. Trump claims ‘serious’ talks may be forthcoming even though Israeli and US forces are believed to have been gearing up for a major attack in the past five weeks of fragile ceasefire.Washington was also asked by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to hold off claiming Iran may agree to a deal which precludes developing nuclear weapons. Lebanon‘s health ministry said: “The total cumulative toll of the aggression from 2 March to 18 May is now as follows: 3,020 martyrs and 9,273 wounded.”‌They said that includes 211 people aged 18 and under and 116 healthcare among the dead. And Iran ‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its forces struck groups linked to the US and Israel in the western province of Kurdistan, near the border with Iraq.War on Iran began with Donald Trump assuring protesters throughout the country that 'help is on the way,' as tens of thousands are believed to have been slaughtered in a brutal security clampdown.Article continues belowBut even after weeks of war on Tehran it is believed it still has a large number of ballistic missiles and drones left in its arsenal and represents a major threat to Israel and Iran's Gulf State neighbours - especially the United Arab Emirates.