Trump Suggestion of a Syrian Crackdown on Hezbollah Confounds Many in Mideast

THE NEW YORK TIMES: During peace talks, President Trump repeatedly floated the idea that Syria could help subdue Hezbollah in Lebanon. The proposal revived bitter memories.

When the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon was threatening to unravel the U.S.-Iran peace deal, President Trump repeatedly floated an idea that took many in the region by surprise.

Neighboring Syria, whose relatively new government is no friend to Hezbollah, could help subdue the Iran-backed Lebanese militia.

The proposal revived bitter memories in Lebanon, which the Syrian military occupied for nearly three decades. It also baffled Syrians, whose government has made clear over and over again that it has no interest in meddling in its neighbors’ affairs or entering into more wars.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa reiterated that stance last week, rebuffing the notion that his U.S.-allied government was preparing to intervene militarily in Lebanon. » | Christina Goldbaum and Raja Abdulrahim | Christina Goldbaum reported from Beirut, Lebanon, and Raja Abdulrahim from Amman, Jordan. | Wednesday, July 1, 2026

US-Iran Ceasefire Under Strain as Fighting Flares in Lebanon | DW News

Jun 19, 2026 | Ongoing fighting in Lebanon could undermine a ceasefire between the US and Iran. Hours after US President Donald Trump warned all parties to respect a peace deal, Israel launched deadly attacks in southern Lebanon while four Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. Meanwhile talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland have been postponed. So are Israel and the militant group Hezbollah undermining the deal? Was it set up to fail?

Democracy Now! Trump's War on Iran Ends with a "Triumphant" Tehran

Jun 18, 2026 | The United States and Iran have officially signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in Iran. The 14-point agreement includes an immediate end to fighting on all fronts including Lebanon, an end to the U.S. naval blockade on Iran and the full resumption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. It also proposes easing oil sanctions on Iran, unfreezing Iranian assets and launching a $300 billion investment fund to rebuild Iran, all while tabling the question of Iran’s nuclear program, which is instead set to be negotiated over in the coming months.

“The United States is more eager for this war to end than Iran is,” says Professor Vali Nasr, who teaches at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. “In Iran, they’re very triumphant.” We discuss the long-term effects of the war, from the growing U.S. distrust of Israel, to the new generation of political leaders in the Islamic Republic, to the evolution of Iran into a major power player in an increasingly multipolar world.


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Jeffrey Sachs: US-Iran Deal Reached - Peace or Tactical Pause?

Jun 15, 2026 | Prof. Jeffrey Sachs discusses the US announcement that a deal between the US and Iran has been agreed. Jeffrey Sachs

Where Will the Coming Iran War Negotiations Lead? (w/ Mohammad Marandi) | The Chris Hedges Report

June 14, 2026 | As new negotiations launch between the parties involved in the Iran War, existential questions regarding the future of Israel and the global economy remain contingent on complex geopolitical variables. To parse through these possibilities, Iranian academic Mohammad Marandi joins The Chris Hedges Report.

World Blames Trump as Iran ‘Made a Superpower’ with Strait of Hormuz Control

Jun 10, 2026 | “Looking at the price at the pump, not only in America but globally, all of them are blaming the US.”

The US needs to de-escalate the war at this point in order to keep the ceasefire alive and bring down the price of oil, says retired lieutenant general Russel L. Honoré.


Trump is an ignorant, incompetent president. This is a mess of his own making. — © Mark Alexander

US Strikes Iran in Response to Downing of Military Helicopter | BBC News

Jun 10, 2026 | The US says it has carried out a series of strikes on Iranian military and surveillance sites in response to the downing of an American helicopter in the Gulf. Air defence systems, ground control stations and radar sites were targeted near the Strait of Hormuz, the US military Central Command (Centcom) said.

In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched strikes on 21 targets at US bases in the region, one in Bahrain and the other in Jordan, while Kuwait's army said it was also intercepting an attack.

The US has described its strikes as "a proportional response" for the Apache helicopter downing on Monday, while the IRGC described the attacks as "vicious".

US President Donald Trump had earlier accused Iran of shooting down the helicopter and said the US "must, of necessity" respond. The two crew members survived and were rescued by an American sea drone.

Democracy Now! Iran Warns Israel over Attacks on Lebanon after Iran, Israel Exchange Strikes: Trita Parsi

Jun 8, 2026 | Iran and Israel exchanged fire overnight in the most serious escalation since a U.S.-Iranian truce was reached in April. Iran launched a wave of missiles at northern Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks near Beirut on Sunday. Israel responded with attacks on Iran, with explosions reported in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan. This comes as peace talks appear stalled between the United States and Iran, largely over Iran's insistence that any agreement must include Lebanon and halt Israel's attacks on that country. President Donald Trump has also repeatedly expressed frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and reports from NBC News and The New York Times indicate the Pentagon is growing increasingly concerned over Israel spying on U.S. officials.

"I was not surprised by the Iranian attack on Israel," says analyst Trita Parsi, who notes that Iran's leaders want to "extend their deterrence" to Lebanon. "What is perhaps a bit surprising is … that the Israelis defied Trump's expressed wishes."


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Trump Tells BBC: “If I Tell Netanyahu to Do Something, He Does It” | BBC News

Jun 8, 2026 | The US President Donald Trump has told the BBC that if he tells Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to do something, he does it”.

The president was speaking to the BBC’s North America Editor Sarah Smith in a telephone interview, following the recent new round of hostilities between Israel and Iran.

Israel had launched attacks on Iran’s capital Tehran on Sunday, in apparent defiance of a demand from the White House to comply with the fragile ceasefire in force since April. Israel said the action was in retaliation for attacks by the Iranian backed Hezbollah militia group in Southern Lebanon. Iran responded to the airstrikes by firing multiple missiles at Israel, the first such attack since April.

Hours before Israel launched its attacks, President Trump had declared “I call the shots” and had instructed Benjamin Netanyahu to comply with the ceasefire. The President told the BBC that Israel had already launched its attacks, at the time when he had requested that Israel exercise restraint.

Donald Trump said he had persuaded Mr Netanyahu to return to the ceasefire, telling him: “We have to use sense. We’re very close to signing a very good deal” with Iran.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith, Wyre Davies and Jeremy Bowen.

Trump Reportedly Erupts at Netanyahu over Lebanon Attacks | DW News

June 3, 2026 | A major rift appears to be emerging between the United States and Israel. Reports say Donald Trump confronted Benjamin Netanyahu over Israeli strikes on Lebanon, warning they could derail sensitive talks with Iran. While a partial de-escalation was announced, Israeli attacks have continued in the south - and officials say Beirut could still be targeted. We look at what this clash means for the region and whether Washington is losing influence over its key ally.

Iran Suspends US Talks, Warns of Wider Escalation as Israel Targets Lebanon's Tyre | DW News

June 1, 2026 | Iran has suspended indirect negotiations with the United States, explicitly linking future talks to developments in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes are intensifying. The move suggests Tehran is shifting from diplomacy to pressure through the battlefield, as Hezbollah and Israel exchange fire and civilians are displaced. With France calling for urgent UN talks, the decision highlights how quickly the conflict is spilling beyond national borders.

Iran Pulls Out of Peace Talks with US

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran has pulled out of peace talks with the US following continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Tehran’s state media reported.

“Given the continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes in Lebanon, and considering that Lebanon was among the preconditions of the ceasefire, which has now been violated on all fronts ... the Iranian negotiating team is suspending talks,” Tasnim said.

The state media outlet, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, also warned that Iran would block the Strait of Hormuz again and “activate other fronts, including the Bab El-Mandeb Strait”.

Tehran had warned that a truce in Lebanon was a precondition for securing any peace deal with the US, and the suspension of negotiations marks a dramatic collapse of nearly two months of talks. The decision came after Benjamin Netanyahu ordered fresh strikes against Beirut on Monday. LIVE » | Lily Shanagher. Emily Smith | Monday, June 1, 2026

Netanyahu Orders Israeli Bombing of Southern Beirut

THE GUARDIAN: Thousands leave homes after Israeli military instructed to strike ‘terrorist targets’ in largest escalation of war since ceasefire

Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli military to bomb the southern suburbs of Beirut, the most serious escalation of Israel’s war in Lebanon since a supposed ceasefire was announced on 17 April.

The Israeli prime minister and his defence minister, Israel Katz, said on Monday they had given instructions to strike “terrorist targets” in the southern suburbs for what they called “repeated and ongoing violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah”.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has not stopped despite the 17 April ceasefire, and Israeli strikes have killed more than 800 people in Lebanon since its announcement. Hezbollah has targeted Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, and in recent days, launched rockets towards northern Israel.

The ceasefire was previously understood to exempt Beirut from Israeli strikes, though Israel has struck the southern suburbs twice in what is still a reduction from the daily bombing of the capital before 17 April.

People began to leave the southern suburbs minutes after Netanyahu’s statement, with roads leading out of the area choked with cars. The displacement was a familiar one; residents there have been forced out of their homes several times over the last three months. » | William Christou in Beirut and Jonathan Yerushalmy | Monday, June 1, 2026

Israel Captures Crusader Castle That Symbolized Its Long Lebanon Occupation

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The seizure of Beaufort in southern Lebanon called up bitter memories in both countries amid a widening Israeli conflict with Hezbollah that seems far from over.

This screenshot has been taken from this NYT article. | A view of the Beaufort Castle fortification atop a cliff above the Litani River in southern Lebanon, last year. | David Guttenfelder/The New York Times
Israeli soldiers have captured a strategic hilltop crowned by the Crusader castle of Beaufort in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military announced on Sunday, part of the most sweeping Israeli invasion in the country in decades.

The seizure of Beaufort, while hailed by Israel’s top leaders, evoked bitter memories in both countries of the deadly fighting there during Israel’s nearly two-decade occupation of southern Lebanon. Israel finally withdrew in 2000 after a bloody insurgency led by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.

Now, more than a quarter century later, Hezbollah is once again fighting a guerrilla war against invading Israeli forces; Israeli leaders openly discuss a return to a long-term Israeli “security belt” in Lebanon to fend off Hezbollah attacks; and an Israeli flag flutters over the fortress at Beaufort.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, praised the reconquest of Beaufort on Sunday as a “dramatic step” and vowed that Israeli forces would “deepen and expand” their control of territory in Lebanon. » | Aaron Boxerman and Natan Odenheimer | Sunday, May 31, 2026

Inside Israel’s ‘Security Zone’ in Southern Lebanon

Apr 22, 2026 | In southern Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike is reported to have killed two people in a vehicle and injured two journalists.

Iran's ally Hezbollah also said it attacked Israeli forces with a drone - all of this straining the 10-day ceasefire. Israel has established a 'security zone' which, at its deepest point, extends some seven miles into southern Lebanon.

It's marked out by what Israel is calling a Forward Defence, or Yellow Line, similar to that in Gaza. Israeli troops are still deployed there, demolishing buildings in villages near the line, like Mansouri and Majdal Zoun.

Israeli Soldier Destroys Jesus Statue in Lebanon | BBC News

Apr 20, 2026 | There has been widespread condemnation after an image of an Israeli soldier apparently hitting a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon went viral.

Israel's prime minister said he was "stunned and saddened”. Its foreign minister said: "We apologise for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt."

Locals say the statue was on a crucifix outside a family home on the edge of Debel, one of the few villages where residents have remained during Israel's war with Hezbollah.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it viewed the incident "with great severity and emphasises that the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops".

Bernie Sanders - Senate Showdown: Should the US Keep Funding Israel’s War?

Apr 17, 2026 | Bernie Sanders address two Senate votes that could determine whether the United States continues funding Israel’s military campaign under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and took hostages, Israel had the right to respond. But that response, critics argue, has violated international law. In Gaza, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and much of the territory destroyed, including homes, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. Severe blockades have caused widespread hunger. Violence has also escalated in the West Bank, where over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since then.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Lebanon Ceasefire: Peace Breakthrough or Just a Temporary Trump Pause in the War?

Apr 17, 2026 | A 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon brings both relief and skepticism after weeks of escalating violence. Announced by Donald Trump following talks with Benjamin Netanyahu and Joseph Aoun, the pause is meant to halt fighting and create space for diplomacy. While it appears focused on Israel and Hezbollah, the conflict is deeply tied to a wider U.S.-Iran standoff. Hezbollah’s attacks in support of Iran triggered a devastating Israeli response, leaving southern Lebanon heavily damaged and thousands of civilians affected. The ceasefire offers a needed break, but its short duration and complex regional stakes make its long-term impact uncertain and fragile.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Bernie Sanders: No More Arms Sales to Israel

Apr 15, 2026 | No more taxpayer dollars to support Netanyahu and his extremist Israeli government.

Trump 'Shocked' by Italian PM as She Defends Pope Leo and Denounces Iran War | ABC NEWS

Apr 15, 2026 | Donald Trump has lashed out at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after she expressed solidarity with Pope Leo. Meloni was considered a close ally of Trump. She attended his inauguration and visited Mar-a-Lago. The US President gave several critical remarks to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in which he criticised the right-wing prime minister for not supporting the US-Israel war in Iran.