• Status of talks: Iran has suspended talks with the US in protest over Israel’s actions in Lebanon, which Tehran said “violated” the ceasefire, according to semi-official Iranian state media. US President Donald Trump contradicted this, saying that talks continue at a “rapid pace.”
• In Lebanon: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Israeli military to strike Beirut’s Dahieh district, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah. Trump said no Israeli troops will be going to Beirut after he held a call with Netanyahu. The US president also said he spoke with Hezbollah leadership, “and they agreed that all shooting will stop.”
• Threat on another strait: Iranian media also reported that Iran and its allies are considering the “activation of other fronts,” including the Bab al-Mandab strait, in response to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Closure of the waterway, at the southern end of the Red Sea and a critical gateway to the Suez Canal, could significantly disrupt global trade.
Israeli lawmakers from across the political spectrum slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, a key member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, said it was time to “remove the constraints on our fighters” and intensify attacks on Hezbollah.
