Israel's Beirut Strike Strains US-Iran Deal; Trump Slams Netanyahu
Israel carried out a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, breaching a ceasefire agreement and triggering an immediate international backlash. UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack, noting it occurred precisely as the United States and Iran were expected to reach a nuclear agreement. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the strike a 'terrorist crime' that violated Lebanese sovereignty.
US President Donald Trump broke sharply with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly stating that Netanyahu 'has no f**king judgment' and that Israeli forces should not operate anywhere in Lebanon. The rebuke left Israeli officials stunned, according to reports. Trump also posted on Truth Social condemning the strikes as unjustified and warned they put the Iran deal at risk. Iran initially signalled that a strong retaliatory response was coming, though its aviation authority later said flights across the country were continuing normally — suggesting some de-escalation in the immediate hours following the strike.
The episode is the most serious rupture between Washington and Jerusalem in the current cycle of Middle East diplomacy. A US-Iran nuclear deal, which had been described as imminent, now faces an uncertain timeline. Iran's willingness to continue negotiations while simultaneously signalling retaliation reflects the high-stakes balancing act Tehran is managing, with the Beirut strike giving hardliners domestic justification to walk away from talks.
Sources
- Iran condemns Israeli Beirut strike as ‘terrorist crime’
- UN chief condemns Israeli attack on Beirut
- Iran cancels flights from western airports: Report
- Iran says flights continue as normal across the country
- Trump says Israeli attacks on Beirut unjustified, puts Iran deal at risk
- Trump says Netanyahu ‘has no f**king judgment’ after Beirut strike – report
- Iran weekly briefing: On the edge of a US-Iran breakthrough, Israel throws an explosive spanner
- Iran says ‘strong response is coming’ after Israeli strike on Beirut