Iranian state TV says Israel "will be heavily bombed tonight."
Israel struck Beirut; Trump publicly rebuked Netanyahu; Iran rejected a U.S. restraint offer and vowed an Islamic response, threatening a peace deal Trump said was close.
Netanyahu and Trump have reportedly spoken.
Summary: Sources: Channel 12; Trump Truth Social post; Iran Supreme National Security Council statement
- Israel conducted fresh strikes on Beirut
- Trump contacted Netanyahu directly and expressed furious displeasure at the timing of the strike
- Trump posted publicly that a deal bringing peace to the region was close and called on all sides to stand down
- Iran's Supreme National Security Council declared Lebanon its lifeblood and said a response from the warriors of Islam was forthcoming
- The U.S. offered Iran economic incentives in exchange for restraint, which Tehran rejected
- Iran indicated a retaliatory response was imminent
Israel launched fresh strikes on Beirut, a move that immediately drew a furious private rebuke from U.S. President Donald Trump and a hardened threat of retaliation from Iran, pushing a fragile regional ceasefire framework to its most precarious point yet.
Trump reportedly contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in sharp terms after the strike, expressing disbelief at the timing. The president followed up publicly on Truth Social, stating the attack should not have happened and that a deal bringing peace to the region had been within close reach. He called on all parties to stand down.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council responded within hours, invoking the language of religious warfare and declaring Lebanon central to the Islamic Republic's strategic identity. The council stated a response was forthcoming, framing any action as an obligation rather than a choice.
Washington had sought to forestall exactly this sequence. The U.S. reportedly extended an offer of economic benefits to Iran in exchange for restraint, a signal that the administration viewed Tehran's participation as essential to any durable settlement. Iran rejected the offer outright and reiterated that a response was coming soon.
The collision of signals, an Israeli military action, a U.S. presidential rebuke, and an Iranian threat, leaves the region in a more unstable position while we await 'deal' news out of Geneva. Whether Netanyahu's calculus was to preempt an Iranian move, to complicate U.S. diplomacy, or simply to act on independent intelligence, the effect has been to harden Tehran's posture at the moment Washington needed it softest. The window Trump described as nearly closed may now be considerably narrower.
This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.