Hezbollah, Israel exchange strikes, threatening U.S.-Iran peace deal
by Vaughn Cockayne · The Washington TimesIsrael struck Hezbollah strongholds near the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Sunday in retaliation for earlier missile and drone attacks, potentially upending sensitive peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran that were approaching the final stages.
The Israeli military said it launched attacks on what it called Hezbollah infrastructure in Dahiya, a mostly Shia suburb of Beirut. Hezbollah has long maintained a strong presence in the neighborhood and the Israeli military has repeatedly bombed the area over the past 20 years.
Hezbollah commander Ali al-Hajj was reportedly killed by Israeli airstrikes in Dahiya, according to a report from Al Arabiya.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the strikes were retaliation for a barrage of missiles and drones sent by Hezbollah earlier in the day. The Israeli military said its forces had detected three projectiles fired into northern Israel.
The renewed fighting could threaten the already sensitive peace talks between Iran and the U.S. Tehran has repeatedly insisted that any comprehensive peace agreement with Washington should include a full ceasefire across the region, including in Lebanon, where Israel has kept up a steady stream of attacks on Hezbollah enclaves.
The Israeli military last week struck Beirut’s suburbs, leading to a crisis moment in which Iranian officials threatened to pause negotiations with the U.S. President Trump held a phone call with Mr. Netanyahu in which he told the Israeli leader to hold off on further strikes on Beirut.
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However, Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly said that Israel reserves the right to defend itself and would respond to further attacks by Hezbollah and the Israeli military has traded strikes with Iran over the past week.
The Israeli military said its commanders are conducting assessments and preparing for possible retaliatory attacks from Iran following the strikes on Dahiya. The military made similar comments before Iran launched retaliatory strikes last week.
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“The IDF continues to maintain readiness and vigilance for a range of scenarios in defense and offense,” the Israel Defense Forces wrote in a statement.
Mohammad Baker Ghalibaff, one of Iran’s chief negotiators with Washington, said that Israel’s attacks on Dahiya will hamper the U.S.’s ability to achieve concessions during negotiations.
“By giving the green light to the regime, you cannot gain concessions. The game of bad cop and good cop is outdated,” he wrote on X. “If you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible.”
Mr. Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that the long-discussed peace deal with Iran would be signed on Sunday. The deal, Mr. Trump said, would automatically reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that Iran’s military has kept effectively closed since March.
SEE ALSO: Obama ‘doubtful’ Trump’s Iran deal will be different than the one he signed in 2015
But Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said while progress toward a deal has been made, no agreement would be signed on Sunday.
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The potential “memorandum of understanding” between the U.S. and Iran would, according to officials on both sides, include the end of Washington’s blockade of Iran’s ports, a lifting of Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and a full ceasefire for 60 days.
During the ceasefire, Iran would agree to hold in-depth negotiations over its nuclear program and the removal of sanctions.
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Vaughn Cockayne
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