Israel defies Trump ceasefire warning with fresh Lebanon strikes
Israel defies Trump ceasefire warning with fresh Lebanon strikes
Israel resumed airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least eight people in the coastal city of Tyre, despite a 15-hour pause in hostilities with Iran and a direct warning from US President Donald Trump to halt military operations. The strikes, which targeted the Jabal al-Rihan area and the outskirts of Tyre, came just hours after Israel and Iran declared a conditional ceasefire following a direct exchange of missile strikes on Monday. The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed the casualties, while the Israeli military (IDF) stated it was targeting Hezbollah positions in response to what it called "ongoing threats" from the group.
The resumption of strikes threatens to derail Trump’s push for a lasting ceasefire and final peace negotiations, which he framed as imminent on Monday. Trump, who has positioned himself as the architect of a potential deal, warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against escalation, telling reporters on Tuesday, “I decide everything. He doesn’t decide.” The US president also accused Iran of violating the truce by firing two missile salvos at Israel earlier in the day, a claim Tehran has not publicly denied.
The escalation underscores deepening divisions between Washington and Tel Aviv. Analysts suggest Netanyahu’s defiance of Trump’s ceasefire demands reflects Israel’s growing confidence in its military posture, even as it faces mounting international pressure. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned on Tuesday that Iran’s attempts to “set equations” would fail, adding that Israel’s strike on Iran was merely a “preparation for a much more significant and heavy blow.” Meanwhile, Hezbollah framed Iran’s retaliatory strikes as a show of support for Lebanon’s ceasefire, describing them as a “message of moral and political commitment” to Beirut.
The crisis has also exposed fractures within the US-Israel alliance. Trump’s threat to isolate Israel over escalation—echoed by regional experts like Moshe Zimmermann, who warned of Netanyahu’s potential “isolation”—highlights the strain between the two leaders. In a symbolic move, $3 billion in Iranian assets were transferred from Abu Dhabi to Tehran on Tuesday, reportedly in exchange for Iran halting attacks on Israel and Israel ceasing strikes in Lebanon—a deal brokered by a Qatari delegation.
With the Houthis in Yemen declaring a blockade on Israeli maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei vowing to respond to any further aggression, the risk of a broader regional war remains acute. The IDF’s Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi reiterated on Tuesday that Israel was “fully prepared” to respond forcefully to any threats, signaling that the lull in fighting may be short-lived.





