Tensions in the Middle East ramped up on Monday. Israel hit Beirut’s southern suburbs again, while the U.S. and Iran traded military attacks, making it look like peace talks could fall apart any minute. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz both said these strikes were in response to Hezbollah’s repeated ceasefire violations and attacks on Israeli towns. After the announcement, thousands of people started fleeing Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut, packing the main roads with gridlock.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump told ABC News he thinks a deal with Iran could happen as soon as next week. He also said Israel and Hezbollah agreed to pull back from open fighting, following conversations with Netanyahu and behind-the-scenes talks with Hezbollah through intermediaries.
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The Israeli authorities have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for calling off strikes in Lebanon after he was pressured by US President Donald Trump to stop, according to ANI.
President of the United States, Donald Trump, said that he got Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off his attack on Beirut, after which the Israeli leader “turned his troops around.” This statement from the US president came through Truth Social on Monday night after it emerged that their discussion ended up being “quite heated” and with the US president reminding the Israeli leader that without his influence, he would now be in jail. “I had a discussion with Bibi Netanyahu today (Monday) requesting that he not undertake a major raid on Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi,” said the US president, referring to the Israeli leader by his nickname.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf met with Nabih Berri, his Lebanese colleague, concerning the Israeli attack on Lebanon, and he stated: “While in my conversation with my brother, Mr. Nabih Berri, who is the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, I stressed that if the atrocities committed by the Zionists in Lebanon persist, we will not only stop the dialogue process but oppose them.”
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) claimed it launched an attack against the Panama-registered MSC Sariska V cargo ship using a cruise missile since it was operated by the US. According to Iran’s state media reports, the attack came after another attack against one of its cargo ships near Oman.
“Following the siren alerts that went off at 01:35 (2235 GMT) in various parts of northern Israel, the IAF intercepted two missiles that came over from Lebanon to Israel,” the military announced via Telegram.
Donald Trump, who is currently serving as the US President, expressed his optimism concerning a breakthrough in the region and said that he hopes to reach an agreement with Tehran on extending the ceasefire and opening up the passage through the important maritime strait “within the coming week”. Trump said that he is still holding off on the final sign-off on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) meant to facilitate passage through the important strait because “I still have to get a few more points.”
