Iran expresses doubts about continuing on this path, US President Donald Trump condemns Israel’s attack.
Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon on June 14 APA/AFP
An Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital Beirut jeopardizes the planned signing of a framework agreement for peace negotiations between the USA and Iran. The Iranian chief negotiator Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf questioned the reliability of the US government on Sunday. US President Donald Trump condemned Israel’s attack “on a special day.” We are close to concluding an agreement that would bring peace to the region.
“If you (USA) have neither the will nor the ability to fulfill your obligations, then you cannot continue the diplomatic path,” Qalibaf said on Sunday after the Israeli attacks on X in Beirut. The deputy commander of the Iranian armed forces, Mohammed Jafar Asadi, announced, according to state media, that the Israeli actions in Beirut would not go unanswered.
The new tensions are triggered by an Israeli air strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to the Lebanese Civil Defense, three people were killed. The Israeli military said it was targeting Iranian-backed targets Hezbollah-Militia attacked in Dahiyeh district. Hezbollah previously fired three projectiles into northern Israel, violating a ceasefire.
Iran has so far insisted that Lebanon be included in a possible agreement. The government in Tehran demands that Israel stop its attacks. According to its own statements, Israel is not involved in the planned agreement between the USA and Iran. The broadcaster Fox News quoted a diplomat involved in the talks as saying that Israel was trying to sabotage efforts to reach an agreement.
US President Donald Trump has condemned Israel’s counterattack in Lebanon. The attack near Beirut should not have happened, “especially on a special day when we are so close to a peace agreement with Iran,” the Republican wrote on the Truth Social platform. Trump wrote that Israel had the right to defend itself against threats, but that the attack to which the country responded was meaningless – no one was killed or injured.
At the same time, Trump called on all sides to exercise restraint. They are close to concluding an agreement with Iran that would bring peace to the region, including Lebanon. There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, the US President wrote, and there should also be no more attacks by other parties, including Hezbollah, against Israel.
US President Donald Trump and the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif On Saturday they expressed the expectation that the framework agreement would be signed on Sunday. Trump celebrates his 80th birthday on this day. Such an agreement would initially entail in-depth negotiations for a possible end to the war. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry wrote on X that a virtual signing ceremony was planned for this Sunday.
However, there were contradictory signals in Iran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei ruled out a signing on Sunday. However, the Fars news agency reported, citing insiders, that Tehran had not yet made a final decision.
At the same time, there is resistance to the deal in Iran. At pro-government rallies on Saturday evening, demonstrators in the city of Mashhad shouted “Death to the compromise maker” and called for the resignation of the foreign minister, according to eyewitnesses Abbas Araqchi as well as Speaker of Parliament and chief negotiator Qalibaf.
However, Barak Ravid, a reporter for the news portal “Axios”, wrote on X on Sunday evening (CEST) that Trump had told him in a short interview that the signing was still planned for Sunday.
The war between the USA, Israel and Iran began on February 28th. As a result, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important routes for global oil trade. In return, the USA blocked Iranian ports.
According to a senior Iranian government official, the draft agreement calls for the US to release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets. In return, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and maintain the nuclear status quo. Iran is allowed to dilute its enriched uranium domestically, the insider told Reuters. A final agreement should then be negotiated within 60 days of both sides agreeing to the draft. A US government official said the agreement should ultimately lead to the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program. (APA/Reuters)
