Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest developments: 

• US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran will begin Monday after he decided to hold off on new strikes against the Islamic Republic to pursue a deal.

• The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an explosion near a tanker 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman's port city of Khasab. The master of the vessel indicated hearing an explosion in close proximity to the vessel, according to UKMTO. The tanker and its crew were reported safe. 

• Spokesperson for Iran’s parliamentary National Security Committee, Hassan Qashqavi, said that Tehran is close to reaching an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz. He also confirmed that the country's mediators were seeking to revive the Memorandum of Understanding with Washington.

• Israeli forces carried out what state media described as "large bombing" operations across southern Lebanon, causing loud reverberating explosions. In the towns of Yaroun, Haroun and Bint Jbeil, Israel also reportedly dropped phosphorus bombs, resulting in large fires in the areas' olive and pine groves.

• An earthquake measuring magnitude 5.6 struck 38 km north of Egypt's Suez early on Monday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The Egyptian Red Crescent indicated that ​its emergency response plan in ​the governorates where the quake was felt has been activated.