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The strikes in Lebanon have thrown the peace deal into jeopardy as Iran’s lead negotiator warns, ‘A strong response is coming’
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Donald Trump reportedly lashed out at Benjamin Netanyahu in an angry phone call following Israel’s attack on Beirut on Sunday.
In a post on Truth Social earlier today, the US president condemned the attack, stating it “should not have happened” so close to a peace deal with Iran.
The US president urged the Israeli prime minister to “not blow it”, as negotiations with Iran enter the final stages.
The chief foreign correspondent for Fox News claimed Trump told him the deal with Iran “is expected to be signed in the next 24 hours”.
He added in a post on X: “President Trump said he asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “what the f*** are you doing?” on a call after the Israeli strikes against Beirut.
“He told Netanyahu not to conduct additional strikes. The President told me he will ask Iran not to respond with missile fire toward Israel.”
However, Iran’s top negotiator has said that the Israeli attacks in Beirut shows “the US either lacks the will to fulfil its commitments or the ability to do so”.
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 will not be tomorrow,” but could happen “in the coming days”.
Here’s what you need to know:
Donald Trump reportedly lashed out at Benjamin Netanyahu in an angry phone call following Israel’s attack on Beirut on Sunday.
In a post on Truth Social earlier today, the US president condemned the attack, stating it “should not have happened” so close to a peace deal with Iran.
The US president urged the Israeli prime minister to “not blow it”, as negotiations with Iran enter the final stages.
The chief foreign correspondent for Fox News claimed Trump told him the deal with Iran “is expected to be signed in the next 24 hours”.
He added in a post on X: “President Trump said he asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “what the f*** are you doing?” on a call after the Israeli strikes against Beirut.
“He told Netanyahu not to conduct additional strikes. The President told me he will ask Iran not to respond with missile fire toward Israel.”
If you are just checking in this evening, here’s what you missed:
Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strikes were in response to Hezbollah attacks on the north of the country.
Donald Trump later condemned Israel’s strikes, stating it “should not have happened” and telling Israel and Iran, “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!”
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has penned a birthday message to President Donald Trump as he turns 80 years old.
“Happy birthday Donald. This year your birthday comes at an auspicious time,” he wrote in a tribute on X, alongside a photo of the two world leaders clasping hands. “America celebrates 250 years of freedom – a great nation built on liberty and faith.”
He continued, “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.”
The birthday message came after Netanyahu defied Trump by striking Lebanon while a peace deal is near, with Trump claiming an agreement would be signed Sunday.
“A strong response is coming,” the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee has said in response to Israel’s strikes on Lebanon.
Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan said on Saturday they expected the deal with Iran would be signed on Sunday.
An official involved in the talks said on Sunday that mediators were optimistic the deal was “nearly over the line”.
Trump also told Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Sunday that a deal was near, a Kremlin aide said.
But Tehran cast doubt over the timing even before the strike on Beirut.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that, under the terms of the draft deal, the US would agree to release $25 billion of frozen Iranian assets, while Tehran would agree not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a lead negotiator for Tehran, has warned the US after Israel’s strikes that “if you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible”.
“Without a doubt, these crimes will not go unanswered,” said Gen. Mohammad Jafar Asadi, deputy commander of Iran’s Joint Command Headquarters.
Donald Trump said on Saturday the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday, his 80th birthday.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing, with technical-level talks to follow.
But Iran’s Fars news agency, citing an informed source, said on Sunday Tehran had not yet taken a final decision on the framework agreement, with reviews of its political, legal and technical aspects ongoing at expert and decision-making levels.
Draft terms of the agreement described to Reuters by multiple sources indicate the U.S. would begin releasing frozen Iranian assets and waive sanctions on its oil exports, in return for Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s nuclear programme would then be addressed during a 60-day period of talks.
The senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday that Iran agreed to maintain the nuclear status quo, including no uranium enrichment or expanding nuclear facilities, until a final deal was reached.
A U.S. official said the agreement would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme, with its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be destroyed and removed.
The senior Iranian official said the draft deal would allow Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, to dilute its enriched uranium inside the country.
Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a lead negotiator for Tehran, warned the U.S. on X after Israel’s strikes that “if you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible.”
“Without a doubt, these crimes will not go unanswered,” said Gen. Mohammad Jafar Asadi, deputy commander of Iran’s Joint Command Headquarters, the official Mizan news agency reported.
Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Sunday to finalise the agreement, according to two regional officials.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, expressed cautious optimism that the U.S. and Iran were finally approaching a deal that could halt hostilities that have killed thousands of people and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has thrown world markets into disarray.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday the deal would be signed Sunday, while Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said it could happen in the coming days.
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would open immediately after the signing.The deal is expected to be signed electronically, without an in-person ceremony, though it’s unclear when or how the signing will take place.
Iran’s government warned that any division at home over the deal weakens its negotiating position, and those criticising negotiators are taking aim at a national decision.
Iranians must recognize that no war lasts forever, spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told the state-run IRNA news agency.
Donald Trump has criticised the Israeli strike on Beirut, saying it “should not have happened” so close to a peace deal.
He said the Hezbollah attack in northern Israel, which Benjamin Netanyahu used to justify the strike, was “very small and meaningless”.
The US president, who had hoped the Iran would sign a peace deal on Sunday, said that “all sides should stand down”.
He said: “This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.
“Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process.
“We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down. There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel.
“This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
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