The US president warned Netanyahu he would be on his own if attacks continue after Israel and Iran paused fighting.
Israeli attacks on Tyre in southern Lebanon have killed at least eight people and forced thousands to flee, just hours after United States President Donald Trump insisted a peace deal with Iran was imminent.
The Israeli military issued yet another forced displacement order for Tyre on Tuesday, telling the entire city – including, for the first time, the Christian quarter where many displaced people are sheltering – to leave immediately, before launching its deadly attack.
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Tyre has been repeatedly attacked in recent days, with five killed on Monday and four paramedics among those wounded. At least nine people were killed by Israeli attacks elsewhere in Lebanon on Monday.
Trump has said he is in the “final throes of what will be a very, very good deal”, which comes in the wake of a significant escalation between Israel and Iran that ended on Monday.
Trump told reporters late on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz would open “immediately upon signing”, which he said could be in two or three days.
He added that the US could “very easily” spend another two or three weeks bombing, leaving Iran with nothing, but that would delay the strait opening. He claimed that the US naval blockade on Iran had “turned out to be much stronger than bombing” in making Iran want a deal.
The latest escalation was prompted by Israel’s bombardment of Beirut on Sunday, which prompted Iran to launch missiles at northern Israel. Trump reportedly called Netanyahu to ask him not to retaliate, but Israel launched its attacks on Iran early on Monday. The US president said the missiles were “already on their way” when he spoke to the Israeli prime minister.
Israeli forces struck Iranian air defence systems and a petrochemical plant, while Iran retaliated by hitting a similar facility in Haifa and targeting two Israeli airbases.
Trump told Axios that he had warned Netanyahu: “You better be careful or you will be on your own very soon.”
Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Monday that he had told Trump that “Israel has a full right to self-defence, and we are exercising it as required.”
While both Iran and Israel said they would halt their attacks on Monday, Israel said it would continue to target southern Lebanon. Defence Minister Israel Katz said forces would carry on fighting Hezbollah and would attack Beirut’s southern suburbs in response to any strikes on northern Israel.
Hezbollah said it had carried out operations against the invading Israeli forces in the country, including near Beaufort Castle.
Iran has made clear that any deal with the US must include an end to fighting in Lebanon. On Monday, it warned that continued aggression would be met with “more severe and crushing measures”.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Washington was “directly responsible” for the escalation.
“They are party to the ceasefire negotiations. Therefore, any act in violation of the ceasefire, be it through the interception of vessels, the targeting of southern Lebanon by Israel, or any other event, will cause the United States to be directly responsible for the escalation in the region.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that Tehran was still “at the negotiating table”, while Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said Washington and Tehran, through Pakistan as an intermediary, are “presenting and exchanging views” towards an agreement.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that the overall death toll from the Israeli offensive has risen to 3,666 since March 2, with a further 11,321 injured.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Monday that Israel has carried out nearly 3,500 air attacks, 407 demolitions, and six “razing” operations – which have flattened entire villages – since April 16, when a so-called ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Lebanon.
