A fragile push for peace in the Middle East has been thrown into doubt after Israel launched fresh strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, prompting warnings from Iran and an appeal from US President Donald Trump for restraint.

Plumes of smoke rose above the Lebanese capital on Sunday as emergency crews searched through the rubble. Lebanon’s Civil Defence said three bodies had been recovered and six people were injured in the strikes.

The latest violence comes as negotiators work to finalise a US-backed agreement aimed at ending months of conflict between Iran and Israel.

Mr Trump sought to calm tensions, posting on social media, “We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region”.

“Let’s not blow it!”

Speaking later to Fox News, the President said he remained confident an agreement could be signed within hours and indicated he would urge Tehran not to retaliate against Israel’s latest military action.

The emerging deal has frustrated Israel, which has largely been excluded from negotiations led by Pakistan and regional intermediaries.

A similar Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs last week triggered the most serious escalation between Iran and Israel since a ceasefire came into effect on April 7, raising concerns that fresh military action could derail diplomatic progress.

Mr Trump has repeatedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid major operations in Lebanon while negotiations continue, but Israel has pressed ahead.

Mr Netanyahu’s office said Sunday’s strikes were carried out in response to Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched three projectiles into Israeli territory and released footage appearing to show the attack. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the allegations.

“Israel will not tolerate firing into its territory,” Mr Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Israel’s military later warned it was preparing for the possibility of further attacks in the coming hours.

An Associated Press journalist at the scene reported that a five-storey apartment building with ground-floor shops had been hit, with the lower floors sustaining extensive damage. Residents in nearby suburbs were seen leaving the area amid fears of further strikes.

The conflict expanded dramatically in March when Hezbollah launched missiles into Israel two days after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a wider regional war.

Since then, Israeli forces have advanced deeper into Lebanon than at any point in more than 25 years.

Iran has insisted any ceasefire agreement must also address the fighting in Lebanon.

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has played a key role in negotiations, issued a warning following the strikes.

“if you lack the will and ability to fulfil your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible”.

Senior Iranian military official General Mohammad Jafar Asadi also vowed retaliation.

“Without a doubt, these crimes will not go unanswered,” said General Mohammad Jafar Asadi, deputy commander of Iran’s Joint Command Headquarters, the official Mizan news agency reported.

Diplomatic efforts continued behind the scenes, with Qatari mediators arriving in Tehran on Sunday to finalise details of the proposed agreement, according to regional officials.

Those involved in the talks have expressed cautious optimism that a breakthrough is within reach, potentially ending a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global trade route disrupted by the war.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the agreement was expected to be signed on Sunday, while Iran’s foreign ministry indicated the deal could be completed within days.

Mr Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately following the signing.

The agreement is expected to be signed electronically, although officials have not disclosed when the formal process will take place.

While the deal would mark a significant diplomatic breakthrough, it leaves unresolved several major disputes between Washington and Tehran, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and access to billions of dollars in frozen assets.

Instead, the agreement would establish a 60-day framework for further negotiations on those issues, according to officials familiar with the talks.

The stakes remain high.

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates Iran currently possesses 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity — a level that experts say is only a short technical step away from weapons-grade enrichment of 90 per cent.

- With AP