Key facts
- President Trump warned Israel and Iran against jeopardizing a peace deal.
- Israel conducted air strikes on Beirut, which Trump said delayed the US-Iran deal signing.
- Iran condemned the Israeli attacks, warning of retaliation and questioning US enforcement capabilities.
- An adviser to Iran's supreme leader stated 'zero hour has arrived, and the launchers are preparing'.
- The UN chief strongly condemned Israel's attack, noting it occurred at a crucial moment for US-Iran negotiations.
President Trump has warned both Israel and Iran against actions that could jeopardize a peace deal, stating that recent Israeli air strikes on Beirut had delayed its signing. The strikes, reportedly aimed at showing defiance against Iran and bolstering Prime Minister Netanyahu domestically, drew condemnation from Iran and the UN.
Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the US either lacks the will or ability to fulfill its commitments, while an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, issued a stark warning, stating 'zero hour has arrived, and the launchers are preparing' and threatening to 'squeeze your economic lifelines' if 'mischief in Lebanon' is not extinguished. Iran's foreign ministry condemned the Beirut attack as a 'terrorist act' and held the US responsible for the consequences, emphasizing its determination to exercise self-defense.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack, noting it occurred at a crucial moment when the US and Iran were expected to reach an agreement. Former Israeli ambassador to the US, Alon Pinkas, suggested that Israel had tested US limits to undermine the deal, potentially to appease its domestic audience, and noted that Iran had emerged from recent conflicts stronger and more emboldened, shifting the regional balance. Israeli army reports indicated two soldiers were wounded in southern Lebanon, and further Israeli jets targeted towns in Tyre district.