LiveLive Updates July 03, 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 formatSubscribeJuly 03, 2026UpdatesPMO: Netanyahu and Trump set to meet in U.S.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump are set to meet soon in the United States following a phone call between the two leaders, Netanyahu's office announced.If the meeting takes place, it will be the first time the two meet since the U.S.-Israel military campaign in Iran, and will take place in the midst of Israel's election campaign.Analysis | Syria will not fight Hezbollah, but will increase its involvement in Lebanese affairsSyrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is already deeply involved in the Lebanese issue. His forces are deployed along the border with Lebanon, and he is conducting talks with the Lebanese government on establishing a security oversight mechanism to prevent the smuggling of weapons, military equipment and drugs. On Friday, his Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, visited Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He also signed an agreement for the establishment of the Syrian-Lebanese Supreme Committee for Cooperation.It appears the main effort of the visit was to reassure Lebanon against the possibility that Syria might take an active or any part in the war against Hezbollah or to use Trump's "recommendation" as a pretext to turn Lebanon into a protectorate, like it was during the Assad era. "If common interest requires it, we'll be ready to meet with Hezbollah," al-Shaibani replied when asked about it. Hezbollah apparently has no interest either in speaking with al-Shaibani, unless Iran decides that such a meeting would serve its interests.Syrian President Al-Sharaa in Berlin in March. Credit: Markus Schreiber/APSyrian President Al-Sharaa in Berlin in March. Credit: Markus Schreiber/APWhat troubles al-Sharaa no less is the framework agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon, particularly the vague clause that allows Israel to continue controlling parts of south Lebanon without specifying a withdrawal date. The concern in Syria is that such permission will influence the United States to grant legitimacy to Israeli control of Syrian territory it seized, especially given the stagnation in talks between Syria and Israel and the lack of U.S. interest in them.Read the full articlePMO says report that Israel was 'plotting to kill Iran's top negotiators' is 'fake news'After U.S. officials told the New York Times they believed Israel might be "plotting to kill Iran's top negotiators" during cease-fire negotiations, the Prime Minister's Office called the report "fake news."The Prime Minister’s Office: