The signing of the US-Iran deal to end the conflict in West Asia has been delayed by a few hours due to Israel's strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, US President Donald Trump told local media in Washington, DC.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the Israeli strikes on Lebanon's capital of Beirut "should not have happened", warning that such escalation could jeopardise the peace agreement with Iran to achieve a complete solution to the West Asia conflict, which, according to him, is within reach.
The escalating conflict in West Asia widened on Monday as Israel launched airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, following projectile fire from Lebanese territory into northern Israel. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said in a series of posts on X that it carried out targeted strikes against senior members of Hezbollah in the Beirut area in response to the projectile fire launched toward Israel, particularly toward the north of the country.
IDF international spokesperson Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said the Israeli military targeted several Hezbollah positions, including command and control centres, launch sites and senior operatives.
Trump's phone calls with Netanyahu came after Iran threatened to end the negotiations with the US over Israel's attacks on Lebanon. Netanyahu had said Israel would hit "terror targets" in Beirut if Hezbollah did not stop attacking Israel.
US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the handling of military operations in Lebanon, expressing dissatisfaction with the pace of the conflict and the escalating civilian death toll.
US President Donald Trump and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have announced a landmark peace deal between the US and Iran, which includes the crucial reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and the immediate cessation of military operations in Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump has cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel risks international isolation if it resumes extensive military operations against Iran, following a volatile 24-hour period of escalating cross-border hostilities.
"We're very close. I would say an agreement would be signed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week. And now this takes place," Trump told Fox News.
Tensions in West Asia have dramatically escalated as Israel launched targeted military operations against Iran, triggering widespread blasts across strategic cities, following earlier Iranian projectile attacks on Israel.
A massive wave of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon killed 254 people, overwhelming hospitals.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has urged Pakistan to use its diplomatic influence to help de-escalate the current regional situation and support efforts to maintain the ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump announced a finalised peace deal between the US and Iran, set for signing on June 19 in Switzerland, with key figures like J D Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner from the US side, and Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf representing Iran, alongside Pakistani mediators Field Marshal Asim Munir, Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, and Mohsin Naqvi, playing crucial roles in the diplomatic breakthrough.
Indian equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade, driven by persistent concerns over the unresolved US-Iran situation and continued outflows from foreign institutional investors.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called for the opening of direct negotiations with Lebanon, as tensions persist along the border despite a two-week ceasefire aimed at halting hostilities in West Asia.
The question is whether the clocks allow enough time for two deeply mistrustful sides to get there, and whether the surface calm holds long enough for the paddling to produce something before the ceasefire ends on April 22, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Amid rising tensions, Israel's Defence Minister has issued a stark warning that any leader succeeding Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be considered a target, as reports suggest his son Mojtaba may be next in line.
US-Israel air attacks intensified on the seventh day of war, striking Tehran and other Iranian cities.
According to Hezbollah, it fired a swarm of drones at radar sites and control rooms at the base on Tuesday, describing the move as retaliation for Israeli strikes.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described Israel's incursions into Lebanon as a blatant breach of the ceasefire and said the continued attacks reflect deception and a lack of commitment to potential agreements.
The United States Central Command confirmed that the USS Rafael Peralta intercepted an Iranian-flagged ship, enforcing a maritime blockade against Iran. The US military is prepared to resume major combat operations if ordered by the President.
A top Iranian intelligence official was killed in an attack, with the Revolutionary Guard blaming the United States and Israel. The incident occurs amid escalating regional tensions, including IDF strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure and ongoing operations in Lebanon.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
The clock on the ceasefire is running out. But everyone's already whispering about round two, possibly as soon as this weekend.
India has voiced its deep concern over reports of increasing civilian casualties in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes, emphasising the protection of civilians and the importance of international law.
Authorities are urging the public to rely on official sources for information and avoid spreading rumours.
The logic of war plus the gathering storms in US politics as the midterms loom large leave him with no real alternative but to negotiate, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday backed Israel's ongoing military operation in Lebanon, stating that Hezbollah "was not included" in the recent ceasefire deal between Washington and Tehran, which halted the conflict in West Asia for two weeks.
US President Donald Trump has shared an article suggesting that the option of enforcing a naval blockade was available in the context of Iran, as peace talks ended in a stalemate in Islamabad after differences of opinion arose between the two parties on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear capacities.
'It was diminishing even before Trump came to power.' 'The US was at the centre of the global economy. That position is going to become less and less important and less central.'
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
'US and Iran have not annulled the ceasefire, and the possibility of continuing negotiations remains open.'
China and Pakistan have jointly proposed a five-point peace plan to address the ongoing conflict in West Asia, focusing on de-escalation and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The fragile ceasefire in West Asia between the US and Iran to halt the hostilities in the region for two weeks faces renewed uncertainty as Tehran reportedly moved to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz once again due to Israel's intensified offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to Iranian state media Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which US President Trump says was "not included" as part of the ceasefire deal.
...is a way out, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War. What the indefinite extension produces is a prolonged condition of not-war-not-peace, in which oil markets cannot stabilise, Asian refineries cannot plan, European governments cannot stop subsidising consumption they cannot afford, and the next flashpoint -- a seized tanker, a miscalculated drone strike, a Truth Social post that claims too much -- is one news cycle away.
'As result, Netanyahu 'convinced' Trump to go to war with the help of overoptimistic Israeli intelligence assessments, essentially explaining to him that they only need to bomb Iran for 3-4 days, and the regime would then collapse.' 'Rather unsurprisingly, Netanyahu is ever since blaming his own intel service for the entire operation failing.'
The IRGC said the barrage targeted several US military facilities in the region, including bases at Sheikh Isa in Bahrain, Juffair in Bahrain, Ali al-Salem in Kuwait and Al Azraq in Jordan.
The intriguing bit is that Trump is likely to attend the talks in Islamabad this weekend -- if he does, it will be the clearest signal yet that the US is ready to exit the war with some sort of win to show, since he cannot afford to go for the talks and return empty-handed, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War
