Illustrative image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
United States President Donald Trump indicated on June 1 that Washington has brokered a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Trump writes on Truth Social. A military official says no Israeli troops were en route to Beirut.
“Likewise — through highly placed representatives — I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel,” Trump adds.
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that they had instructed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to resume strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
The Israeli primer’s announcement was followed by a direct warning from the IDF caused a wave of displacement from the Lebanese capital.
Following Trump’s announcement, an Israeli source told the Ynet news site that Israel had postponed the planned strikes on Beirut at the request of the U.S.
Trump clearly pressured Israel into backing down, and he did so under pressure from Iran. The Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry warned after Israel’s threats that the U.S. will bear responsibility for violations of the ceasefire with Iran and ceasefire violations committed in Lebanon by the IDF. The ministry also noted in a statement that a ceasefire violation on one front is equivalent to a violation on all fronts.
In addition, the Iranian Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned residents of northern Israel to leave the area if Israel carries out threats to expand attacks on Beirut and its southern suburbs, according to remarks carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.
After making the announcement on Lebanon, Trump claimed on Truth Social that “talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
It’s worth noting that the Israeli escalation in Lebanon took place as the U.S. and Iran exchanged clashes once again overnight.
While the situation now is stable, both in Lebanon and the Persian Gulf, we could still see more escalation in the coming hours and days. Despite Trump’s latest remarks, there are signs that the U.S. is preparing to resume the war on Iran, and Israel may have in fact delayed the strikes on Beirut to facilitate this.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com