Israel Strikes Beirut amid Fragile US-Iran Deal Negotiations

Israel carried out air strikes on the Dahiyeh district in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, with the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirming the military targeted what it described as Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure. The strikes occurred despite a ceasefire that had been in effect since mid-April, and came alongside separate Israeli bombardments reported across multiple sites in southern Lebanon, including areas in Marjaayoun and Bint Jbeil.

The timing is diplomatically charged: the attacks occurred on the same day U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated he intended to sign a framework agreement with Iran. Iran has insisted that Lebanon — and by extension Hezbollah — must be covered by any such deal, a demand that complicates the negotiations. Israel, which views the emerging agreement as a major setback for its security interests, has continued to press its military campaign independently. Qatari negotiators flew to Tehran on Sunday in an effort to finalize the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, while hardline protesters in Iran rallied against any concessions.

The Israeli strikes on Beirut risk unraveling both the Lebanese ceasefire and the broader diplomatic process. With the G7 summit opening in France on Monday and Trump scheduled to meet Middle Eastern leaders and Ukrainian President Zelensky, the question of whether the US-Iran deal will be signed — and whether Israel's unilateral actions will be tolerated by Washington — is the central geopolitical question of the coming days.

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