LiveLive Updates June 19, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJune 19, 2026UpdatesBen-Gvir says 'all of Lebanon should burn' after four IDF soldiers killedIsraeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Friday called for a far more aggressive military response against Lebanon after four Israeli soldiers were killed in one of Hezbollah's deadliest attacks of the war."For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers should cry," Ben-Gvir said in a statement. He added that "all of Lebanon should burn" and said Israel must make clear that "the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for grabs."The far-right minister said he had conveyed the message directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and argued that Israel should abandon what he described as a policy of measured responses.IDF says four killed in southern Lebanon, including senior officerIDF Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon Credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitIDF Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben SimhonCredit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitFour Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on Friday, including a battalion commander, the Israel Defense Forces reported on Friday, in a strike on a tank. The military named the commander as Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon and said the details of the other three soldiers killed in the incident will be released later.Separately, the military reported that an officer was seriously wounded and three other reservists lightly wounded in a drone attack in southern Lebanon.Read the full articleIran's Revolutionary Guards set up covert Iraqi cells to attack Gulf neighbors, sources sayIran's Revolutionary Guard has set up secretive new cells in Iraq to carry out attacks on Gulf countries that host American forces, bypassing established militia networks to avoid detection, eight Iraqi sources told Reuters.Three or four cells, each comprising about 10 elite Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim fighters, launched at least seven drone attacks from desert locations near the southern cities of Basra and Samawa against sites in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between April 20 and May 17, three of the sources said.Switzerland says U.S.-Iran talks planned for Friday are postponedTalks ⁠that ‌had been planned ‌for Friday between the United ⁠States and Iran in Switzerland will not take place, according to ‌a Swiss foreign ‌ministry statement.The announcement came after a White House spokesperson said overnight that U.S. Vice President JD Vance had pulled out of ⁠a planned trip to meet Iranian negotiators ‌in Switzerland ⁠on Friday to ‌begin talks on implementing an agreement struck between Tehran ⁠and Washington to end the war.U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday. Credit: KEN CEDENO/AFPU.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday. Credit: KEN CEDENO/AFPRead the full article8 hours agoWhite House: Vance not travelling to Switzerland for technical talks with Iran 'as of now'The White House says that Vice President Jordan Vance will not travel overnight to Switzerland, where preparation have been underway for "technical talks" between the United States and Iran over the recently signed memorandum of understanding.The White House's said that, "the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable," adding that Vance would not be travelling to Switzerland "as of now."The announcement came hours after a report that the Iranian team put off its own travel to the Friday meetings at the Buergenstock resort, citing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.Tehran reportedly warned that continuing Israeli military operations deeper than 10 kilometers inside Lebanon constitute a blatant violation of the newly signed framework agreement.8 hours agoTrump defends Iran strategy, warns further bombing risks 'worldwide depression'U.S. President Donald Trump hit back on Thursday at critics who argue he should have taken a harder line against Iran.In an appearance on The Axios Show, Trump said that, "The only way I can get tougher is if I go in there for another two or three weeks and continue to bomb the hell out of 'em. Right? But what does that get us? The Strait of Hormuz will not be open."The president added that, "We wouldn't have oil for months. As long as you're dropping bombs, that thing is automatically closed." He also warned that such this "is the kind of thing that could cause a worldwide depression."IDF: All-clear issued near Syria border after 'suspicious movement' turns out to be animalThe IDF has issued an all-clear near the Syria border after an investigation revealed that "suspicious movement" detected in the area was caused by an animal.The military had previously announced that the movement was identified in southern Syria, about 1 kilometer from the border with Israel, prompting forces to search the area in order to rule out a security incident.Trump envoy tells lawmakers Iran will invite UN nuclear watchdog to inspect its nuclear sitesInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Grossi, attends an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria last year. Credit: Michael Gruber,AP International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Grossi, attends an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria last year. Credit: Michael Gruber,AP Iran will invite the UN's nuclear watchdog agency to inspect its nuclear sites and begin work on identifying and uncovering the locations of Tehran's enriched material, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told U.S. lawmakers Thursday in a private briefing.The briefing was described by two people familiar with the conversation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to share the closed-door details.Witkoff told congressional leadership and members of national security-related committees that the memorandum of understanding that the U.S. struck with Iran did not include any side deals, but a side letter was drafted between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency extending the invitation.Witkoff disclosed the existence of the letter and invitation in the briefing, according to the people.Witkoff said the letter to IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi would enable him to bring U.S. nuclear inspectors to Tehran.In the NewsIDF Says Four Killed in Southern Lebanon, Including Senior OfficerU.S.-Iran Deal Leaves Israel's Political Blocs Largely Unchanged, Poll ShowsAt Least 18 Killed, 33 Wounded Israeli Strikes, Lebanese Health Ministry ReportsSwitzerland Says U.S.-Iran Talks Postponed as Lebanon Fighting Challenges DealJewish Tradition Has Always Stood Against LootingRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHumiliated by Trump on the Iran Front, Netanyahu May Set the Middle East Ablaze'Once-in-a-lifetime Discovery': 1,700-year-old Roman Busts Found in IsraelTrump and Netanyahu Hurtling Toward a Rupture That Could Shock U.S.-Israel TiesNetanyahu's Mouthpieces Turn on Trump, Revealing a Deeper Israeli IngratitudeFork Found in Kitchen: Israelis Have Discovered the OccupationIran Reportedly Calls Off Missile Strikes on Israel After Trump Intervenes