Iran briefing: Before the ceasefire, Trump resumed dropping f-bombs – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 6:29am
The US and Iran have reached a deal. (AFP: Atta Kenare )
Hello, ABC Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran in Jerusalem here.
It's been 107 days since the war between the US, Israel and Iran began, and it seems like it's now the closest Washington and Tehran have been to a deal that would begin a process to end the conflict. 
Iran war live updates: For the latest news on the Middle East crisis, read our blog.
With a long-promised breakthrough looming, another explosive spanner was thrown into the works. Once again, the region was on alert as Israel attacked southern Beirut and Iran promised retaliation.
Israel insisted it was exercising self-defence, pointing to several explosive drones fired at its north on Sunday, some that slipped through the country's air defences and terrorised communities living near the border.
But the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, had a different take: "The game of bad cop and good cop is outdated," he posted on X. That was a reference to the United States and Israel, and is indicative of the deep levels of mistrust that exist between the two.
Analysis by Matthew Doran
Analysis by Matthew Doran
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Topic:War
Topic:War
Mr Qalibaf, who is the regime's top negotiator in talks with the US, immediately linked the Israeli strike to the fragile peace process. "If you lack the will and ability to fulfil your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible," he wrote.
Mr Trump quickly turned to social media to denounce the Beirut strike, "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," he posted on Truth Social. "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!"
Late last week, the president announced that a deal with Iran had been finalised and would be signed within days. He'd made such a claim almost 40 times before, but this time it seemed different.
Israel's prime minister quickly set about to distance his country from the agreement. Mr Netanyahu said Israel "was not a party" to the negotiations, but thanked the US president for his commitment to curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Some saw that first comment as giving Israel some leeway to continue acting as it wanted, and reporting in the Israeli media over the weekend suggested a view was forming within the government and the military that efforts against Iran in future may have to be run without the express support of the United States.
Even if the deal comes off, despite this latest Israeli intervention, it's important to remember this is the beginning of the process to end the war, not an immediate and all-inclusive peace deal. And that's because of the way it's structured.
It kickstarts a 60-day process for some of the more prickly matters in these negotiations to be discussed; specifically, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, the lifting of crippling economic sanctions and the future of Iran's nuclear ambitions.
When signed, both the US and Iran will be championing this as a win. The messaging to domestic audiences will be crucial for Mr Trump, who has repeatedly criticised previous deals struck with Iran, and for the Tehran regime, given the growing pressure that has been on it from the Iranian population.
Remember, it was six months ago that anti-regime protests erupted across the country, before they were met by a deadly crackdown by Iranian security forces. And while we're looking back into recent history, it's worth noting this weekend was the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the last Iran war: the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which the US later joined.
That was meant to be a massive blow to Iran. But clearly, the US and Israel believed another, and this time more complicated, conflict was necessary. Will history repeat?
As Mr Trump hosts the UFC on the South Lawn of the White House, it's this fight halfway around the world that is stealing attention.
If another crisis is averted and an agreement between the US and Iran is finally signed, the situation in Lebanon will still be critical in ensuring its success.
As we have seen, Iran is watching developments between Israel and its proxy, Hezbollah, very closely and sees Israel as a partner of the US.
In that sense, despite Mr Netanyahu's insistence that Israel isn't a party to the deal, its conduct would likely impact its longevity.
If Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade fire, it could unwind everything.
Thanks for joining me. I'll see you at the same time next week.
Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 6:29am
Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 11:51am
Analysis by Laura Tingle
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Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Foreign Affairs
Iran, Islamic Republic Of
Israel
United States
Unrest, Conflict and War
World Politics
Analysis by Laura Tingle
Topic:Federal Government
Topic:Shark Attacks
Analysis by Dean Bilton
Topic:Courts
Topic:Federal Government
Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 8:39pm
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 8:01pm
Topic:Courts
Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 8:47pm
Analysis by Brittany Carter
Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 6:49pm
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