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Beirut strikes and US anger
Iran warned of an "imminent" response after Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh killed five in southern Lebanon, as US President Donald Trump publicly slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the timing.
The Israeli military described the strikes as "precise" and said they targeted a Hezbollah command centre used to coordinate what it called "terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers" operating in southern Lebanon.
Trump acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defence but argued the attack it was responding to was "very small and meaningless" and said the strikes risk derailing a peace process he described as closer than ever to completion.
In the same period, the BBC reported that at least three people were killed and 15 others injured in the Dahieh strike, citing Lebanon’s state media.
The BBC also said the attack came after the US said a deal with Iran would be signed on Sunday, putting further pressure on attempts to end the war.
Quotes, warnings, and pressure
Trump told Israel’s Channel 12 that "Bibi has no f***ing discretion" and asked why Netanyahu "do this attack?" after the Beirut strikes.
In parallel, the Jerusalem Post reported that Trump and Netanyahu spoke on the phone on Sunday after Israel launched strikes against Hezbollah in Beirut, with Trump saying, "There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon".
The BBC said Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Israel’s attacks showed the US was not fulfilling its commitments, while Iran’s senior military official Brig Gen Mohammad Jafar Assadi warned the attack would not go "unanswered".
Ynetnews quoted Israeli officials saying the US position was unfair and did not reflect how an ally should be treated, as Jerusalem pressed Israel to avoid responding if Iran launches missiles in retaliation.
The Jerusalem Post also said Mohammad Mokhber warned Israel and the US that Tehran will make “no concessions” on defending Lebanon and anyone crossing Iran’s red lines will “learn a lesson” they regret.
Deal stakes and next moves
The BBC said the attack on Dahieh put further pressure on attempts for a US-Iran deal to end the war, while Trump insisted a truce remains close and repeated that "This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace - Let's not blow it!"
Euronews reported that the continuing escalation between Israel and Hezbollah also threatens to derail a potential deal between Washington and Tehran, with the stakes underlined after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel following an Israeli attack on the Beirut suburbs.
Naharnet said Trump told Axios that the strike "It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours" and that the peace deal with Iran was still on track to be signed within hours.
The BBC added that Iran has insisted any truce should include the end of the war in Lebanon, while Israeli officials reject that and say operations must continue.
In the same reporting, the BBC said the Israeli military’s goal in the current round of conflict since March is to protect communities from Hezbollah’s rockets and drones, as Israel and the US began launching strikes across Iran on 28 February.
