TODAY’S PAPER | June 13, 2026 | EPAPER

Trump says no Israeli troops will go to Beirut after call with Netanyahu

Crossing of red lines in Lebanon and Gaza means direct war, say Iranian forces


Reuters/Web Desk/Anadolu Agency June 01, 2026 14 min read
US President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025. REUTERS

United States President ​Donald Trump said on ‌Monday that Israel would send no troops to Beirut ​after a call he ​held with Israeli Prime ⁠Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I had ​a very productive call ​with Prime Minister 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 said in a ​post on ​Truth ⁠Social.

"Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I ​had a very good ​call ⁠with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting ⁠will ​stop."

Earlier, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned residents of northern Israel to leave the area if Israel carried out threats to expand attacks on Beirut and its southern suburbs, according to remarks carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.

The headquarters said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to bomb Beirut and the Dahieh district in the Lebanese capital and issued evacuation warnings to residents there.

It warned that if such threats are carried out, residents of northern Israel and military settlements should leave the area if they wish to avoid harm.

In a post on X, the Intelligence Organisation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tehran viewed any crossing of what it described as red lines in Lebanon and Gaza as a direct war and an attempt to impose costs on Iran’s national security and the so-called resistance axis.

The statement said Iran would respond through what it described as defensive operations, including “opening new fronts” while maintaining its position on the Strait of Hormuz.

“Whoever sows the wind will reap the whirlwind,” the post said.

Separately, Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said on X that the Strait of Hormuz remained under Iranian management and warned that Tehran would not allow what he described as a continued naval blockade.

“The Strait of Hormuz is under Iran’s management. We will not allow the continuation of the naval blockade, nor will further escalation in Lebanon be tolerated,” Rezaei wrote.

'Violation on one front is violation on all fronts,' Iran's Araghchi on Lebanon ceasefire

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier that the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington was “unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.

“Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” he wrote on X.

The top diplomat’s comments come after Netanyahu announced that he had ordered his military to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs.

US not complying with ceasefire: Iran's chief negotiator Ghalibaf

Iranian parliament speaker and lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had called out the US on Monday for breaching its ceasefire with Iran, including by continuing its blockade of Iranian ports and failing to restrain its ally Israel from escalating attacks in Lebanon.

“The naval blockade and escalation of war crimes in Lebanon by the genocidal Zionist regime are clear evidence of US noncompliance with the ceasefire,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X. “Every choice has a price, and the bill comes due. It will all fall into place,” he added.

Only Iran, Oman have right to ‘exercise sovereignty’ over Hormuz: Iran’s deputy foreign minister

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Monday that Iran and Oman are the only two countries that have a right to “exercise sovereignty” in the Strait of Hormuz.

In comments carried by Iran’s IRIB broadcaster, Gharibabadi said Iran has implemented a new process for “controlling traffic and navigation” in the waterway but arrangements are coordinated with Oman.

He said Iran has urged Oman to “not give in to” threats from the US after Trump threatened to “blow up” the country if it does not “behave just like everybody else” with respect to the strait.

Lebanon ceasefire ‘essential’ for deal with US: Iranian FM spokesperson

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said on Thursday that any deal with the US to end the war must include guarantees for a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has expanded its attacks and invasion despite a truce in mid-April, according to Al Jazeera.

Speaking at a news conference, Baghaei said: “We insist that a ceasefire in Lebanon is an essential condition for any deal aimed at ending the war.”

Baghaei also said Iran is not currently engaging in talks with the US on the details of its nuclear programme, according to Al Jazeera.

“We know when it is necessary to act on nuclear matters,” Baghaei said. “No negotiations have taken place on the details of the nuclear file. At this stage, our priority is ending the war.”

Baghaei also accused the US of having violated the ceasefire, “including this morning”. He said, “Iran will take whatever measures we deem necessary to defend Iran’s national security.”

EU calls on Israel to 'stop military escalation' in Lebanon: spokesman

The European Union has urged Israel to halt its military operation in Lebanon, after Israel seized the strategic Beaufort Castle and said it would resume strikes on southern Beirut, AFP reported Monday.

“We call on Israel to stop its military escalation in Lebanon and to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.

French President speaks with Trump about war on Iran

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with US President Donald Trump about "situation in the Middle East."

He commended Trump's efforts on to reach an agreement between the US and Iran in a post on X, which "represents a unique opportunity to build a new security framework involving all concerned parties, in order to enable a lasting stabilisation of the region."

"I indicated that we are ready to fully support these efforts and to take our full part in their implementation," he wrote.

He also said that France was prepared to bring "expertise" and "capabilities" to broader negotiations, especially regarding a nuclear agreement.

Iranian attacks damaged 20 US military sites since war began, satellite imagery shows

Iranian strikes have damaged 20 US military sites since the start of the US-Israeli war against Tehran in February, a BBC analysis of satellite images and videos showed on Monday.

The targeted facilities span Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman, found the analysis by BBC Verify using satellite imagery from multiple international providers, along with archived images from Planet, a major provider, to assess damage from Iranian attacks.

While the White House has repeatedly said Iran’s military capability has been largely destroyed, analysts argue that damage observed at US facilities suggests that Iran’s counterstrikes were both more precise and more extensive than American officials have publicly acknowledged.

Among the significant losses were three advanced anti-ballistic missile battery systems at Al Ruwais and Al Sader airbases in the UAE, as well as Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan, the report said.

The satellite image analysis also indicated that Iranian strikes severely damaged US refuelling and surveillance aircraft at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia, with wrecked aircraft and burn marks visible at the site.

Read: Lebanon ceasefire ‘essential’ for deal with US: Iranian FM spokesperson

Among the aircraft identified by a MAIAR analyst was an E-3 Sentry surveillance plane, which US media reports say could cost up to $700 million to replace.

Elsewhere, Iranian strikes also hit Ali Al Salem Airbase and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Analysts at MAIAR identified destroyed fuel storage bunkers, aircraft hangars, and troop accommodation in satellite imagery, indicating the base was struck multiple times during the conflict.

At Camp Arifjan, defence intelligence firm Janes reported significant damage to satellite communications equipment, the analysis showed.

US says it struck Iranian military sites, Tehran responds with air base attack

The US said it struck Iranian military sites at ‌the weekend, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a US base in response, the latest in a series of exchanges amid negotiations to end the three-month-old war.

The strikes on Iran's Gulf coast were in response to "aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US ​MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters," the US Central Command said in a post on X.

"US ​fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defences, a ground control station, and two one-way attack ⁠drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters," CENTCOM said, adding it will continue to protect US assets ​and interests during the ongoing ceasefire.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Monday it had targeted an air base used by ​the US for an attack on southern Iran, without identifying which base.

Air defences in Kuwait, where a major US base is located, were intercepting missile and drone attacks on Monday as sirens sounded across the country, the state news agency KUNA reported, without providing further details.

Read: Truce in tatters as Israeli troops push deeper into Lebanon

The US and Iran ​have sporadically exchanged strikes since their ceasefire took effect in early April, as negotiations aimed at a more durable agreement drag ​on. A similar exchange occurred last Thursday and was described by both sides in similar terms.

The war launched by the US and Israel on ‌February 28 ⁠has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and caused global economic pain by pushing up energy prices due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

US proposes new plan to ease Israel-Lebanon tensions amid fighting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese ​President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‌on the diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon and has proposed a plan to allow for "gradual de-escalation," a US official said ​on Sunday.

The US has proposed that as a first ​step, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group would stop ⁠all attacks on Israel, and in return, Israel would ​refrain from escalation in Beirut, the official said.

Kuwait condemns Israel’s ‘wide-scale ground incursion’ into Lebanon

Kuwait on Monday strongly condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks on its territory, calling them "a blatant breach of international law."

The attacks also constitute "a serious escalation and a direct violation of Kuwait’s security and stability" and pose a "grave threat to the civilian safety and critical infrastructure” in Kuwait, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the repeated attacks undermine efforts to de-escalate tensions and threaten regional security and stability, reiterating Kuwait’s firm rejection of such actions.

"Kuwait reserves its full right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its security and defend its territory," it added, holding Iran "fully responsible for these unlawful attacks."

Kuwait's armed forces said early Monday that the country's air defence systems intercepted "hostile missile and drone attacks" after air raid sirens sounded and emergency alerts were issued nationwide.

Israel's Netanyahu ordered the military to attack targets in Beirut's southern suburbs

Israeli Prime ​Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ordered the ‌military to attack targets in the Lebanese capital, Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.

"Following repeated violations of ​the ceasefire in Lebanon by the terrorist group ​Hezbollah and the attacks against our cities ⁠and citizens, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister ​Israel Katz ordered the IDF to attack terrorist targets ​in the Dahiyeh district in Beirut," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

Israeli troops and Hezbollah have continued to trade fire ​since a mid-April ceasefire, with Hezbollah resorting to ​the use of cheap, easy-to-assemble kamikaze drones that are hard for ‌air ⁠defences to thwart and that have killed Israeli troops invading southern Lebanon.

The fighting in Lebanon has displaced ​more than 1.2 ​million Lebanese ⁠through Israeli strikes and evacuation orders since March 2.

The incursion has so far killed more than 3,370 people, according to the Lebanese government. Israel ⁠says ​24 of its soldiers and ​four civilians have been killed over the same period.

Iran says strikes on regional bases used in attacks against it are ‘lawful self-defence’

Baghaei said on Monday that Iran has the right to carry out retaliatory attacks on regional “bases and assets” used to wage attacks against it, after Kuwait reported a series of hostile missile and drone strikes.

“States have an established legal obligation not to allow their territory or assets to be used for invading other countries,” said Baghaei in a post on X.

The Iranian official also accused the European Union of displaying “selective moral outrage” in its response, saying that an EU statement condemning Iran for “exercising its right to self-defence against US aggression launched from bases in neighbouring countries” was “hypocritical and reckless”.

Baghaei did not specify which EU statement he was referring to, but the European Union’s diplomatic service criticised earlier reported Iranian attacks on Kuwait in a statement several days ago, saying they violate Kuwait’s sovereignty and “pose a serious threat to regional security and stability”.

Saudi Arabia condemns attack on US base in Kuwait

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned and denounced the Iranian attack against "the brotherly State of Kuwait."

"The Kingdom reiterates its categorical rejection of these assaults, which violate Kuwait's sovereignty."

The ministry also stated that it affirms its "solidarity with the brotherly State of Kuwait."

Stop negative 'chirping', Trump says

In a late-night social media ‌post, US ⁠President Donald Trump did not mention the exchange of hostilities, repeating his as-yet unproven claim that Iran "really wants to make a deal".

He berated critics, including what he described as "seemingly unpatriotic Republicans", for negative “chirping” about negotiations to end the conflict.

"Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end - It always does!" he said.

Trump is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get US gasoline prices down ahead of the November congressional ​elections, as voters show increasing frustration ​over rising prices. At the ⁠same time, he faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks in his own party over any concessions to Tehran.

Oil prices rose about 2% in Asia on Monday as the lack of progress in negotiations kept traders on edge.

Trump ​has said his key aim in the war is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon with ​its highly enriched uranium. ⁠Tehran has consistently denied it has plans to do that.

The two sides remain at odds on several other issues, such as Tehran's demands for the lifting of sanctions and the release of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks.

Israel's war in Lebanon with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah ⁠militia is another ​major impediment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had ordered troops to move ​further into Lebanon in the battle against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu on the diplomatic negotiations between ​Israel and Lebanon and has proposed a plan to allow for "gradual de-escalation," a US official said.

COMMENTS (1)

Ija | 1 week ago | Reply While our media gives the impression that USA is tired and losing in this conflict but reality is far from that. Iran is bombed and broke with no regional support except diplomatic. USA has it by its neck and patiently squeezing the economy with its blockade. Iran has no ability to respond except shooting some missiles on our Arab brothers which alienates it more. Trump is vague and keeps everyone guessing on purpose as it suits him and he has time on his side.
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