Israel carried out a fresh wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon and Beirut’s suburbs between June 14 and 17, killing between 4 and 8 people and targeting what it described as Hezbollah facilities. The strikes came despite pointed public criticism from US President Donald Trump, who called the military operations “vicious” and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint.
The diplomatic friction between Washington and Jerusalem is reverberating well beyond the Middle East. Bitcoin dropped more than 2%, sliding toward $63K, while crypto markets absorbed over $1 billion in liquidations tied to the escalating regional tensions.
What happened in Lebanon
The airstrikes targeted positions in southern Lebanon and the suburbs surrounding Beirut over a four-day window. Israel framed the operations as a response to Hezbollah’s cross-border fire.
Trump characterized the strikes as excessive and called on Israel to act more responsibly. The criticism arrives while Trump is actively pursuing a deal with Iran, making Israeli military operations in the region a particularly inconvenient complication for his diplomatic agenda.
