Donald Trump announced that “very good” talks had taken place to end the war, but Tehran denied it. On Tuesday, just after Trump’s declaration, Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles against Israel.
The Israeli military also hit the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as an action to destroy a Hezbollah stronghold.
However, citing a US official, the US will continue striking Iran despite Trump’s claim of “productive talks” with Iranian leaders. According to US officials, this pause only applies to the country’s energy sites. The officials further added that the five-day halt on attacks applies only to energy sites.
In a report by Semafor, it was stated that US strikes on military targets and the navy will continue, including those involving ballistic missiles. Israel was not a party to Washington’s talks with Tehran.
On Monday, Trump said that he would destroy Iran’s power plants if it did not fully open the vital Strait of Hormuz within five days of the ultimatum. Several global news agencies, including Reuters, has asked the White House, US State Department, and the Pentagon. But they did not immediately respond to the queries.
The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that the US and Iran should come to the table to immediately to end the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. She made this statement during her visit to Australia for signing a new free trade agreement.
The Israeli strikes on Lebanon have increased, leading to a claim by Israel’s far-right Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, to annex southern Lebanon.
In a separate report by the UN and humanitarian groups, the conflict has created dire consequences for Lebanese civilians, with more than 1.2 million people forced out of their homes.
