Israel strikes Beirut hours before US-Iran deal: Trump condemns attack as talks stall
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21 days · 10 summary articles
Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut on Sunday morning, hours before a planned US-Iran peace deal was set to be signed, prompting President Donald Trump to publicly condemn the attack and warn both sides against further escalation. Israeli jets struck the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh, in response to cross-border fire from Lebanon, according to a joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz . The strikes, which targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in the Ghobeiry area, triggered immediate regional tensions as mediators raced to salvage the preliminary agreement that would end three months of hostilities.
Trump, speaking to Axios on Sunday, described the Israeli operation as reckless and personally criticized Netanyahu, saying he had “no fucking judgment” and that the attack “should not have happened” so close to the scheduled signing . “It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours,” Trump said. “It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now.” He acknowledged that Hezbollah had fired first but stressed that the response caused no casualties and no damage, questioning why Israel had launched a major strike at such a sensitive moment.
Iran’s highest national security body remained defiant, with Ebrahim Azizi, chair of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, posting on X that “a strong response is coming” . Iranian negotiators, including Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, warned that further Israeli actions in Lebanon could derail the talks entirely, stating it was “impossible to talk about moving forward” with the US if commitments in Lebanon were not honored . Despite the escalation, Trump insisted the deal remained on track for later on Sunday, his 80th birthday, framing it as a historic accord that would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, mandate the disposal of nuclear material, and allow snap inspections of Iranian facilities.
The Israeli military confirmed the strikes were limited to Hezbollah targets and occurred after multiple rocket attacks from Lebanon into northern Israel . Explosions were reported across southern Beirut, with emergency services responding to damaged civilian infrastructure. Regional and international mediators, including French and European officials, urged immediate restraint, with Trump taking to Truth Social to declare that “all sides should stand down” and that “we’re very close” to a deal .
As of midday Sunday, the status of the US-Iran agreement remained uncertain. While Trump and his team maintained it would be signed later in the day, no Iranian official had confirmed the timing, and hardline factions in Tehran continued to voice skepticism about Washington’s reliability following the Beirut strikes . The sequence of events—escalation in Lebanon, public rebukes from Washington, and defiant rhetoric from Tehran—underscored the fragility of the diplomatic process even as both sides claimed progress was possible.
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Articles
🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱🇱🇧🇱🇧- According to Israeli assessments cited by Israeli Channel 12, Donald Trump is expected to soon announce that he is "giving something" to Iran in exchange for Tehran refraining from responding to the Israeli strike on Beirut. @GeoPWatch
telegram bot · about 2 hours ago
⚡#BREAKING Barak Ravid: President Trump told me in a phone interview that he believes the agreement with Iran will be signed today, despite the Israeli attack on Beirut 💧 Rainbet.com the #1 Non-KYC Crypto Casino & Sportsbook @rainbetcom +18
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theguardian · about 2 hours ago
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radio free europe · about 2 hours ago
🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱🇱🇧🇱🇧- Donald Trump told Axios in a phone interview that he believes the agreement with Iran will be signed today, despite the Israeli strike on Beirut.
telegram bot · about 2 hours ago
🇺🇸🇮🇱🇮🇷🇱🇧🇱🇧- According to Ynet, the US is urging Iran to either refrain from responding to the Beirut strike or keep any response limited in scope to prevent further escalation, while simultaneously pressing Israel not to retaliate if Iran does act. ➡️ Officials say Trump demanded Netanyahu halt fire in Lebanon and begin a withdrawal, both of which Netanyahu rejected. Israel has also pushed back against US claims that the Dahieh strike was intended to disrupt the pending agreement with Iran. @GeoPWatch
telegram bot · about 2 hours ago
⚡️#LATEST Trump warns Israel and Iran not to blow it after new strikes threaten to undermine emerging ceasefire deal 💧 Rainbet.com the #1 Non-KYC Crypto Casino & Sportsbook @rainbetcom +18
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aftenposten · about 2 hours ago
Trump to Axios: Netanyahu has "no fucking judgment" but Iran deal still on President Trump tells Axios the U.S.–Iran deal to end the war is still on track for Sunday despite Israels strike in Beirut and the Iranian threat to retaliate. Why it matters: The president is racing to save a deal that nearly collapsed the moment Israel struck Beirut, leaning on private diplomacy and public messaging to get it signed. Iranian officials havent confirmed a deal is expected to be signed today."It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now," Trump said in a phone call. The escalation in Lebanon took place hours before the U.S. and Iran were supposed to sign a deal to end their war.Ebrahim Azizi, chair of the Iranian parliaments national security committee, wrote on X: "A strong response is coming"State of play: Trump said he was shocked when his advisers called to brief him about the Israeli strike in Beirut, and he fumed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."It is so bad — I couldnt believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal."Trump acknowledged Hezbollah attacked Israel first but stressed it didnt cause any damage and nobody had been killed. "Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that," Trump said. The big picture: Trump claimed the deal with Iran will be good for Israel because it will prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, require the disposal of the nuclear material and allow snap inspections of Irans nuclear facilities.It wasnt immediately clear if Trump received any direct assurance from Tehran that the signing remains on track.Editors note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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