Key facts
- Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, criticized the US following an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
- Ghalibaf stated the US "either lacks the will to fulfil its commitments or the ability to do so".
- The Israeli strike killed at least three people and wounded 15 in southern Beirut.
- US President Donald Trump indicated a peace deal with Iran could be signed soon.
- Tehran disputed the timeline for the deal but suggested it could happen in the "coming days".
- Mediators from Pakistan and Egypt discussed progress toward a potential US-Iran understanding.
Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the United States "either lacks the will to fulfil its commitments or the ability to do so" following an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The attack, which killed at least three people and wounded 15, occurred as US President Donald Trump suggested a peace deal to end the war on Iran could be signed as early as Sunday.
Tehran has disputed the timeline for the deal but indicated that the signing could happen in the "coming days." Ghalibaf, who is also Iran's parliament speaker, criticized the Israeli action, stating that "giving the green light to the [Israeli] regime" would not lead to concessions and that the "bad cop and good cop" tactic was outdated. He added that if the US lacks the will and ability to uphold its commitments, continuing discussions would be impossible.
According to a statement on the Iranian foreign minister's Telegram account, diplomat Araghchi emphasized that "regional security cannot be shaped through eliminating or ignoring Iran." He noted that regional stability is only possible through cooperation and consideration of common interests. Meanwhile, an official at the Iranian military's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that Israel's "crimes" in Beirut would not go unanswered.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated they carried out a "precision" strike on a Hezbollah target, aiming to show defiance amid domestic political pressure and an election year. Analysts suggest this action could be an attempt to derail ongoing peace talks between the US and Iran, which mediators like Qatar and Pakistan are trying to facilitate. The strike has complicated the efforts of mediators seeking to bridge the trust gap between Washington and Tehran and address issues such as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions relief.