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Beirut strike and backlash
Israeli strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, including Dahiyeh, as the US-Iran peace process was being discussed for Sunday, with Trump saying the attack “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran”.
“the Israeli attack on Beirut “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran””
Lebanon’s civil defense said three people were killed in the strikes, while the BBC reported at least three people were killed and 15 others injured, citing Lebanon’s state media.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council warned on Sunday that a response was “imminent,” and Iran’s foreign ministry said it holds the US directly responsible for Israel’s ceasefire breaches in Lebanon.
Israeli officials said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in Dahiyeh after Hezbollah fired towards northern Israel, and the Israeli military described the strike as “precise” and aimed at a Hezbollah command centre used to coordinate attacks.
The Guardian framed the moment as a ceasefire deal looking shaky after Trump’s criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu’s timing and Iran’s warning of an “imminent” response.
Trump, Iran, and Hezbollah
Trump said “There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon,” and also demanded “no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” as he argued the attack was “very small and meaningless.”
The BBC reported that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, said 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.
In parallel, the Guardian said Iran’s foreign ministry held the US directly responsible for Israel’s ceasefire breaches in Lebanon, and Iran’s state broadcaster reported flights at airports in the west of the country were cancelled.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone on Sunday after the strikes, and it quoted Trump telling Israel’s Channel 12 that “Bibi has no f***ing discretion”.
Euronews added that the IDF said it took steps to “mitigate harm to civilians,” while Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes hitting the Ghobeiry neighbourhood.
Deal timing and regional risk
As the Beirut strikes unfolded, Trump said the deal with Iran was “complete,” and the Guardian quoted him authorizing “the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” and the “immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade.”
“"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete," Trump wrote.”
The Guardian also reported that Shehbaz Sharif said the “official signing ceremony will be on Friday, 19 June in Switzerland,” while the same coverage described Iran’s warnings and the risk that the ceasefire effort could be derailed.
Euronews reported that Iran’s state broadcaster said flights at airports in the west of the country were cancelled until further notice after Tehran warned it would respond to an Israeli attack on Beirut.
The BBC described the attack as putting further pressure on attempts for a US-Iran deal to end the war, noting that Iran insisted any truce should include the end of the war in Lebanon while Israeli officials rejected that condition.
In a wider escalation context, L’Orient Today said the Ministry of Health put the toll since the war resumed on March 2 at “at least 3,756 people have been killed and 11,632 injured,” underscoring what the sources portray as the high human cost around the Lebanon front.
