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Iran’s top negotiator said the US ‘either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so’
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Donald Trump’s peace deal with Iran has been thrown into jeopardy once again, after Israel bombed the Lebanese capital of Beirut in breach of a ceasefire.
The Israeli military says it has struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern suburbs of Beirut, after claiming the group had launched three projectiles towards communities in northern Israel, calling it a blatant ceasefire violation.
Iran’s top negotiator has said that the Israeli attacks in Beirut shows “the US either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so”
Washington and Tehran appeared to be getting closer to a deal to end the more than three-month-long conflict, with US and Pakistani leaders forecast a signing on Sunday.
Iran has long made the end of fighting in Lebanon a condition for any wider agreement with the United States, and have said a final decision on the framework of a peace deal with the US is still under review.
The US president said the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post online, claiming the Strait of Hormuz will then be “open to all”.
It had been reported that Trump is scrambling to secure a peace deal with Iran before the G7 summit with world leaders on Monday.
Israeli military has said they are preparing for possible fire towards Israel in the coming hours.
The IDF said they are ready for defensive and offensive scenarios, after they launched strikes at Beirut in Lebanon.
The peace deal in its current form is a deep disappointment to Israel’s government.
The last time Israel struck the Beirut suburbs a week ago, it set off the most serious escalation of fighting between Iran and Israel since the tenuous ceasefire took hold April 7.
.There was no immediate White House comment on Israel’s strikes. US President Donald Trump, who had said the deal could be signed Sunday, has pressed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop hitting Lebanon hard while a deal is near, but the prime minister has defied him.
Netanyahu’s office said the strikes were in response to Hezbollah attacks on the north of the country.
There was no immediate comment from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has posted a message to Donald Trump on the US president’s 80th birthday.
“This year your birthday comes at an auspicious time,” Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a post on social media.
He said: “Happy birthday Donald.
“This year your birthday comes at an auspicious time. America celebrates 250 years of freedom – a great nation built on liberty and faith.
“I wish you continued strength and vigor as you lead America towards a bright future of peace through strength, and as we continue to bring the U.S. – Israel alliance to ever greater heights.”
Iran’s top negotiator has said that the Israeli attacks in Beirut shows “the US either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so”.
The peace deal is now in jeopardy, after both US and Iran signalled that they were in the final stages of finalising negotiations.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said: “The Zionists’ incursion into Dahiyeh has once again shown that America either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so. By giving the green light to the regime, you cannot gain concessions.
“The game of bad cop and good cop is outdated. If you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible.”
The Israeli military attacked on Sunday Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the group’s stronghold known as Dahiyeh, according to a joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
The attack came in response to Hezbollah’s firing into Israeli territory, the statement said.
The United States and Iran appear close to a deal to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Friday the U.S. and Iran agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East and that mediators were working with both sides to finalize a deal.
However, Tehran has cast doubt over the timing of the signing. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking before Trump’s post, had cautioned against commenting on the timing of the signing but was quoted by state media saying it could happen “in the coming days”.
Previous declarations of an imminent breakthrough failed to materialize.
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The Israeli military says it has struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in a move that could jeopardise Donald Trump’s peace deal with Iran.
A “precise strike” was conducted on a command centre used by the terrorist group, the IDF says.
Its statement adds: “Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was in response to Hezbollah firing into Israeli territory.
President Donald Trump is set to meet with Middle Eastern leaders at the G7 summit in France next week, senior US officials said Saturday, and he is expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump is scheduled to travel to Evian, France, for the G7 summit early Monday after attending UFC Freedom 250, a mixed martial arts event at the White House, on Sunday.
He will speak to a number of European leaders who he’s squabbled with over trade, tariffs, Ukraine and NATO since his return to the White House early in 2025.
Trump will meet separately with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirate, France and India at the summit that starts Monday.
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A senior Iranian official told Reuters a final draft of the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. covered a range of issues, from Tehran’s nuclear work to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Other details include:
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