Attacking Beirut, Israel Attempts to Sabotage US-Iran Ceasefire
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that Washington is “very close” to reaching an agreement with Iran. Only hours later, Israel launched an attack on Beirut, triggering an Iranian response.
According to Trump, the near-finalised deal aims to ensure that Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons. “I will ensure it permanently,” he said during an appearance on NBC News’s “Meet the Precis,” referring to the nuclear threat. “I will do it either through negotiation – as we are close to a deal – or I will blow it up, quite frankly.”
It is noteworthy that Iran has not yet been proven to be pursuing nuclear weapons, and the Islamic Republic has previously maintained a policy against developing a nuclear bomb. However, US and Israeli attacks last February have been cited as potentially altering that stance.
Trump asserted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has no other choice” but to accept any agreement Washington might reach with Iran. “He has no other choice,” Trump told the media. “I am the one making the decision. I am making the decision. He (Netanyahu) is not the decision-maker.”
The interview with Trump was recorded before the conflict escalated significantly later that day. Under the pretext of eliminating Hezbollah, Israel launched airstrikes on the southern outskirts of Beirut, an area they had rarely targeted previously due to Trump’s intervention. A few hours later, Iran launched an attack on Israel for the first time since the 8 April ceasefire.
The IRGC stated they had accepted a ceasefire with the US on the condition that it would be a “ceasefire on all fronts.” However, it is alleged that the US and Israel have failed to meet their commitments by launching attacks in Lebanon and “repeatedly violating the ceasefire by attacking Iranian coasts and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean.”
The US has maintained a naval blockade against Iranian ports and conducted a series of attacks against Iran in recent days, even as negotiations continue towards a deal to end the war. “Tonight’s operation serves as a warning,” the IRGC said in a statement, adding that “if aggression recurs, the response will be broader.”