Iranians walk out of talks venue after Trump’s threat

Iranians walk out of talks venue after Trump’s threat


Tehran warns its rivals to be careful with their statements after calls for strikes on the Islamic republic over its support for Hezbollah

Iran’s delegation arrives in Zurich for a new round of negotiations with the United States over the war in the Middle East. (AFP pic)

BURGENSTOCK: Iran’s delegation on Sunday walked out of the Swiss venue where it held talks with the United States towards permanently ending the Middle East war, after Donald Trump threatened to strike the Islamic republic over its support for Hezbollah.

The negotiations to end a war that sowed chaos across the region and rattled the global economy are meant to trigger a 60-day period to settle broader issues that have dogged US-Iranian relations for decades.

But disagreement over key sticking points and the threat of renewed fighting in Lebanon weighed on the talks, with Washington and Tehran exchanging threats in parallel with the negotiations.


“The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, after meeting with the Qatari delegation as one of the mediating parties, left the building where the negotiations were being held,” Iran’s state news agency IRNA said.

“At the same time as the talks began in Switzerland, Donald Trump published a message on X in which he repeated his threats and remarks against Iran,” it added.


A diplomat with knowledge of the talks, however, told AFP that the Iranians had not quit the negotiations.

“The Iranian delegation remains engaged in the talks and has not indicated to the mediators any intention to leave,” the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Trump had earlier threatened to strike Iran if it did not “immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble”.

Iran hit back with a warning of its own.


“They would do better to be careful with their statements; our armed forces are ready to respond to them in a different manner. No matter what they say, we are the ones who act,” Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said.


‘New leaf?’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said troops would remain in south Lebanon “as long as necessary” and vowed that he would “not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons”.

Iran’s state broadcaster said the nuclear programme had not been discussed “during the 80-minute first round of talks” on Sunday.

It said the focus had been on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, and the situation in Lebanon.

US Vice President JD Vance had earlier hailed “a historic meeting”.

Flanked by US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in the luxury Swiss resort Burgenstock, Vance added: “The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together?

“Can we turn over a new leaf? Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently?

“Or do we go back to doing things the old way, which is not our preference, but it’s certainly very much something that can happen.”

The talks to end the months-long conflict are taking place against the backdrop of Iran closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz again in response to recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

“It is not possible to enter the negotiation phase for a final agreement” unless there is an end to the war in Lebanon, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X.

Washington and Tehran’s memorandum of understanding signed this week included a provision to end fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.

But there have been repeated clashes in Lebanon since, which prompted Iran to say it would again shutter the crucial oil and gas trade route, having opened it as part of the deal.

By Sunday evening, however, there had been no reports of Israeli strikes or continued fighting, with some residents of southern Lebanon cautiously trickling back to their homes.

Israel PM says troops to stay in south Lebanon ‘as long as necessary’

Israel PM says troops to stay in south Lebanon ‘as long as necessary’


Benjamin Netanyahu stresses peace will come only when Iran’s proxy is no longer a threat, saying he looks forward to signing it

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops would remain in southern Lebanon’s security zone to protect northern Israel residents. (EPA Images pic)

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon “as long as necessary”, while also vowing to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect the cherished residents of the north and all the citizens of Israel… Nothing will alter that commitment,” Netanyahu said.

“And with regard to Iran: whatever political developments may unfold, I will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. As long as I serve as prime minister of Israel, that will not happen.”


Later on Sunday, Netanyahu, speaking at a public event, reiterated that the Middle East war had achieved Israel’s key goal of preventing Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon.

“We prevented Iran from carrying out a plan to annihilate us and today they would have had an atomic bomb to do so,” he said.


“We prevented that from happening. We removed the existential danger. Had we not acted… Iran would have had atomic bombs and let me tell you something, they would have used them.

“That’s what we prevented,” he said.

Netanyahu said the joint US-Israel campaign had dealt severe blows to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, from which it might “not recover for a long time”.

“Because once you deal these blows and once the rift between the regime and people is so deep, you cannot tell when such a regime would fall,” he said.


“I think we created the condition for it to fall. That is what will be the real triumph when the Iranian people will take their own destiny in their hands and they knock out this brutal regime that is terrorising them and terrorising the rest of the world.”

Netanyahu also said Israeli forces were targeting “Hezbollah terrorists” in Lebanon while working to keep civilian casualties low.

“There are some civilian casualties in every such war, in every such urban warfare,” he said.

“But I asked our people, our research arm in the defence ministry… what is the ratio in Lebanon?” he said.

“And they said to me …. it’s five to one. No, not five civilians killed for every terrorist. Five terrorists killed for every civilian that is harmed in the process. Five to one. Unheard of. Unheard of,” he said, reiterating that Israel was at war with Hezbollah, not Lebanon.

“When that proxy of Iran is no longer a threat, when it’s dismantled, when it’s disarmed, yes, we’ll have peace with Lebanon, and I look forward to signing it.”

Hezbollah had pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war in early March when the Iran-backed militant group fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli attacks since March 2 have left 4,106 people dead in Lebanon, including 135 health and emergency workers, and more than 12,100 people wounded.

Hezbollah says the toll includes its fighters.

***

Satanyahu's pre-election talk - if he doesn't get to be PM again, he goes to jail for a multitude of crimes

German minister blames Trump for Strait of Hormuz closure

German minister blames Trump for Strait of Hormuz closure


Defence minister Boris Pistorius calls for the vital waterway to be reopened, saying any agreement needs support from Iran and Oman

The Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas route, was effectively blockaded during hostilities that began on Feb 28 following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. (AFP pic)

BERLIN: German defence minister Boris Pistorius on Sunday blamed US President Donald Trump for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling for the vital waterway to be reopened.

“Ultimately, the cork in the bottle neck of the Strait of Hormuz was pushed in by Donald Trump, not by us, but we have an interest in getting it out again,” Pistorius said in an interview with broadcaster ARD.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments, was effectively blockaded during the hostilities that began on Feb 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran.


Tehran had agreed to reopen it under a preliminary accord signed by Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic had begun to recover.

But Iran on Saturday said it was once again closing the vital waterway over Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

“The opening of the Strait of Hormuz, or rather safe passage through it, is in Europe’s interest, in the interest of our energy supply and our economic recovery,” Pistorius said.

The minister added that any agreement to reopen the strait would need the support of Iran and Oman.

Berlin has repeatedly distanced itself from Trump’s campaign against Iran, though officials have stopped short of blaming the US for the conflict.

When Trump pressed allies to help re-open or secure the Strait of Hormuz in April, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the war was “not a matter for Nato”.

Merz and Pistorius have also criticised the United States for not consulting its allies before beginning strikes on Iran.

Job losses near 39,000 in five months with Malaysians aged 25 to 39 hardest hit, says HR Ministry

Job losses near 39,000 in five months with Malaysians aged 25 to 39 hardest hit, says HR Ministry



Picture for illustration only. Datuk Seri R. Ramanan says the Human Resources Ministry is expanding employment and skills programmes to help affected workers secure new jobs, enhance their skills and transition into industries with stronger demand. — Pexels pic

Sunday, 21 Jun 2026 5:03 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — Nearly 39,000 Malaysians lost their jobs in the first five months of this year, prompting the government to strengthen support measures for affected workers.

According to data cited by ETHRWorldSEA, the Human Resources Ministry said 38,953 workers were recorded as having lost their jobs between January and May under the Employment Insurance System (EIS).

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said most of those affected were aged between 25 and 39.

Men accounted for 23,536 cases, while women made up 15,417 cases.The job losses were mainly recorded in the manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle repair, and administrative support sectors, largely due to business restructuring and operational adjustments by companies.

Ramanan said the ministry is expanding employment and skills programmes to help affected workers secure new jobs, enhance their skills and transition into industries with stronger demand.

Despite the rise in layoffs, he said Malaysia's labour market remains resilient, with the unemployment rate standing at 3.0 per cent in April and the labour force reaching 17.33 million people. — Daily Express

From RM500 to over RM6,000? Association warns of 13-fold fee hike if Selangor reclassifies kids’ playlands

From RM500 to over RM6,000? Association warns of 13-fold fee hike if Selangor reclassifies kids’ playlands



Families enjoy a water play area as industry players urge the Selangor government to reconsider proposed higher licence fees for children’s playlands, warning it could raise costs for operators and families. — File picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Sunday, 21 Jun 2026 8:27 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — The Malaysian Association of Theme Parks and Family Attractions (Matfa) has urged the Selangor state government to review its proposal to reclassify children’s playlands under the entertainment licensing category, saying the move would increase annual licence fees nearly 13-fold.

Its president Tan Sri Richard Koh said the proposed reclassification would raise annual fees from RM500 to RM6,390, adding financial pressure on operators of children’s play facilities that cater to families, particularly those from the B40 and M40 income groups.

“We appeal to the state government to reconsider plans to reclassify children’s playlands under the entertainment licensing category, which would result in a spike in annual fees from RM500 to RM6,390,” he said in a statement today.

Koh said children’s playlands are important community spaces that provide families with safe environments for play, exercise and family bonding.


He said Matfa had proposed that such facilities remain under the recreational licensing category, with fee exemptions considered for facilities serving lower-income communities.

While welcoming the Selangor government’s RM209.26 million Phase Two Endurance Strengthening Package to help businesses weather economic uncertainties, Matfa urged the state not to overlook the family attractions industry, which it said had also been affected by the economic slowdown.

The association also renewed its call for the federal government to abolish the Entertainment Duty Act 1953, describing it as an outdated law that places an additional burden on families seeking affordable leisure activities.


“The Entertainment Duty Act imposes a tax of up to 25 per cent on every theme park, water park and family attraction ticket. This tax is not paid by operators, it is borne by the rakyat.

“During this challenging time, it is wrong to tax families. Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong do not impose such taxes. Malaysian families are now travelling to Hat Yai because it is more affordable there,” he said.

Koh said the government should also introduce tax incentives for operators that provide recreational activities for B40 and M40 families, as such facilities offer important public spaces for relaxation and social interaction.

Matfa reaffirmed its commitment to working with the state government and local authorities to develop a regulatory framework that supports industry sustainability while strengthening Selangor’s position as a leading destination for family recreation and tourism. — Bernama

Meloni tells Trump to 'focus on your own popularity' as row escalates

Meloni tells Trump to 'focus on your own popularity' as row escalates

1 day ago
Joshua Cheetham

Handout via REUTERS
Giorgia Meloni talked to the US president on Wednesday at the G7 summit in Evian in France


Italy's Giorgia Meloni has again hit back at US President Donald Trump on social media after he questioned her political popularity and repeated his claim that she asked "over and over" for a photo together.

Trump said on Saturday that the prime minister was "doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity".

He also accused her of not supporting US efforts to prevent Iran "from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon".

In a statement on Instagram, Meloni said Trump's "constant, unprovoked attacks" were "senseless".

"As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you," said Meloni.

"My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours," she added.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump also said Meloni had caused "a great logistical inconvenience" by barring the US from using Italian air facilities for American military operations in Iran.

But the Italian leader said the use of Italian bases "is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am prime minister".

On Friday, Meloni said she had been astonished by Trump's initial claim that she "begged" for a photo during a G7 meeting this week in France.

The continuing exchange between the pair has highlighted a developing rift between the two countries since Trump's military action against Iran this year.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has cancelled a trip to the US early next week.

'Neither I nor Italy ever beg': Meloni on Trump after 'false' anecdote

Trump and Meloni were pictured in close conversation at the G7 summit, and the Italian leader later told reporters their relationship was unchanged and there had been "no recriminations".

But soon afterwards, Trump gave a phone interview with Italy's La7 TV channel in which he alleged: "She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her."

"She's probably happy I spoke to her," he said. La7 did not produce Trump's original words in English, but voiced them over in Italian.

Responding to the claim, Meloni in an Instagram video said she was "frankly stunned".

"I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards allies," she said, adding it was not the first time it had happened.

"But there is one thing he needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg," she said.

Meloni received support for her comments from across the Italian political spectrum.

The leaders also clashed earlier this year after Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was "not a big fan".

Meloni later said the comments were "unacceptable".

The two country leaders have had a close political relationship, with Meloni the sole European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025.

Italy's Meloni says Trump 'made up' story that she 'begged' him for photo at G7

"My father opened his home to Jews and Yad Vashem did not open their home to us."

From Wikipedia:

Khaled Abdul-Wahab

Khaled Abdul-Wahab
Khaled Abdul Wahab in 1936
Born	1 March 1911 French protectorate of Tunisia
Died	4 September 1997 (aged 86) Tunisia

Righteous Among the Nations
The Holocaust Rescuers of Jews Righteousness Seven Laws of Noah Yad Vashem
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Khaled Abdul-Wahab (1 March 1911 – 4 September 1997) was a Tunisian Arab Muslim man who saved several Jewish families from Nazi persecution, in Vichy-controlled Tunisia during the Holocaust.^[1][2] He has been called the 'Tunisian Schindler'.^[3]

Wartime rescue of Jews

Abdul-Wahab, the son of a wealthy aristocratic family, had frequently travelled abroad during his youth, mostly to France. Before the war he had studied art and architecture in New York.^[4] He was 31 when German troops occupied Vichy Tunisia in November 1942. French Tunisia was then home to approximately 100,000 Jews. Under the Nazis' anti-Semitic policies, they were forced to wear yellow badges and were subject to fines and having their property confiscated. More than 5,000 Tunisian Jews were sent to forced labor camps, where 46 are known to have died. Another 160 Tunisian Jews in France were sent to European death camps.

Abdul-Wahab, acting as an interlocutor between the Nazis and the population of the coastal town of Mahdia, heard that German officers were planning to rape a local Jewish woman, whom he realized must be Odette Boukris, the wife of an acquaintance. He plied the German with wine until the German was drunk and drove to the oil factory where the family had taken refuge, and picked up the Boukris family and their neighbours, the Ouzzan family,^[5] 25 people, and took them to his family's farm, and kept them there for 4 months, allocating a small room to each family member. Despite the contiguity of Khaled's farm to a Red Cross camp where injured German soldiers were tended, none of the farm-hands, who knew of the presence of these hidden Jews, revealed the fact. They stayed until the Nazi occupation ended, and in April 1943, with the arrival of the British at Mahdia, all the families returned to their homes.^[4][6]

In December 1942, he helped save a Jewish family of nearly two dozen people. One of them was Eva Boukris, 13 years old at the time. All able-bodied men of Boukris' family were ordered into forced labour by the Germans. The family was offered protection by Khaled who ferried all the women, children and old men to his farm. The family was provided lodging by Khaled in the stables of his farm. Soon after a German unit arrived in the area. Khaled instructed the family to hide their yellow badges, stay in the courtyard and keep away from the main house. In order to keep the family hidden, he invited the German unit to his house. By the night, two drunk German soldiers wandered to the courtyard. They started banging on the door of the courtyard saying, "We know you're Jews and we're coming to get you!" The family upon hearing these threats hid all the girls. Khaled reached there and managed to convince the Germans to leave the family alone. Next day he apologised to the family for the threats by the German soldiers and promised them that such an incident would never happen again. Eva and her family passed the rest of the German occupation on his farm.^[6][7]

"Righteous Among the Nations"

Robert Satloff, who had been searching for records of Arabs who had saved Jews from the Holocaust, was first informed of Abdul-Wahab by Odette Boukris' daughter, Anny Boukris, who had also been hidden by Abdul-Wahab at the age of 11; shortly after recording her testimony, she died at age 71. Satloff then went to Mahdia and confirmed the story.^[8]

Although nominated, Abdul-Wahab still has to be approved by the Yad Vashem commission that grants the honor. Yad Vashem has conferred the honor on 60 Muslims, including Turks, Tatars and Bosnians, with Mohammed Helmy as the only such Arab. Most of the Muslims who received the award were Albanians. Abdul-Wahab's case has already been once studied by the Righteous Among the Nations Department of Yad Vashem but it was declined on the basis that Khaled Abdul-Wahab did not risk his own life; that he had "hosted" rather than hidden Jews, and that the Germans were aware of the presence of Jews on his family's farm.^[4] Saving Jews in Tunisia was not against the law at the time and the saviors did not risk their own lives and safety which is a necessary condition in proclaiming a person Righteous Among the Nations.^[9] His daughter Faiza Abdul Wahab commented: "My father opened his home to Jews and Yad Vashem did not open their home to us."^[4] Specifically, investigations revealed, through interviews with Anny Boukris and Edmee Masliah (Ouzzan), that the Germans were fully aware of the situation, that the male Jews continued to work under German supervision, and that, during German visits, the group would put on their yellow badges in order to be counted to ensure none had escaped in the meanwhile. They also were furnished with medicine by the German Red Cross facility nearby.^[5]

Trump confirms Keir Starmer is resigning as PM ..... before Starmer has confirmed it himself

Thanks MF:

BREAKING: President Trump confirms Keir Starmer is resigning as Prime Minister… before Starmer has confirmed it himself. The final humiliation.

From the FB page of:

Piers Morgan

@piersmorgan

BREAKING: President Trump confirms Keir Starmer is resigning as Prime Minister… before Starmer has confirmed it himself. The final humiliation.

Israeli said "maybe the US needs another Pearl Harbor or 9/11”"

Thanks MF:

From the FB page of:

Post

Mario Nawfal

@MarioNawfal

🇮🇷🇮🇱🇺🇸 Researcher Ben Sabti posted (and quickly edited) that the U.S. “maybe needs another Pearl Harbor or 9/11” to remember who its real enemies and friends are. To give you all context, Beni Sabti is an Iranian-born Israeli Iran expert at a major security think tank, Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. He quickly tried walking it back, claiming he doesn’t wish for an attack, but said that America’s current approach is dangerously naïve. Even with the clarification, it shows how frustrated some hardliners in Israel are with Trump’s Iran policy. Writers: Claudio, Daniel

22:28 · 20 Jun 2026120kViews

Israeli threatening Trump (and Wanks) a la 9/11

Thanks MF:


Americans need to begin delving into Hebrew language posts. They will be astonished, to say the least.

Why Lebanon may make or break the Iran-US deal

Israeli escalation in Lebanon threatens to undermine agreement between Tehran and Washington and risks further regional destabilisation, analysts say.

By Justin Salhani

Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026

Beirut, Lebanon – The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran leaves no room for doubt, declaring “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon,” between the two countries and their allies.

“The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” the interim agreement signed on Wednesday added.

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Yet Israel appears to either have not received the memo or to be deliberately ignoring it.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have continued in the days since the MoU’s signing, bringing the death toll since the start of Israel’s air and ground offensive on March 2 to more than 4,000. These deadly strikes led to Iran postponing talks with the US that had been planned for Friday in Switzerland.

The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Lebanon’s government have both demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory although the former has said that should come by linking Lebanon to the Iran negotiations while the latter prefers direct talks with Israel.

“Lebanon is at the beginning of the agreement because the Iranians want to bring home that Lebanon’s territorial integrity is essential to the agreement, the success of the [MoU],” said Michael Young, a Lebanon expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

Israel to ‘torpedo’ Iran-US deal

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been fighting since October 2023, but Israel has twice intensified the conflict – in September 2024 and March this year – pummelling Lebanon with bombs and invading its territory.

The March intensification came after Hezbollah fired on Israel for the first time in more than a year following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and as a response to more than 10,000 Israeli ceasefire violations since late 2024.

Since then, Israel has killed at least 4,057 people in Lebanon and wounded more than 12,121. Israel has targeted paramedics and journalists and razed dozens of villages.

While the US has tried to declare several ceasefires in Lebanon, the reality on the ground has played out differently.

US President Donald Trump has made several statements on Lebanon, including that Israel needs to scale back its operations there, but Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that their ability to continue operations in Lebanon must be protected.

“Israel is fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed,” Trump said on Tuesday at a G7 summit in France. “And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses and they’re not all Hezbollah. That I can tell you.”

Trump also said he was “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah. They should have been able to do the job faster. It just goes on forever.”

Analysts said they believe the presence of Lebanon in the MoU means that Iran feels strongly about the situation there and the US, which also enjoys positive bilateral relations with the Lebanese government, may be willing to put pressure on Israel to stop its military operations in the country.

“The US wants to split out the Lebanon and Iran conflicts,” said David Wood, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst on Lebanon. “It can help Lebanon by insisting that Israel implement the June 3 proposal for a bilateral ceasefire.”

“This approach would give the Lebanese state an opportunity to show that it can assert control over Lebanese soil effectively and defend the country by nonviolent means, as opposed to Hezbollah’s strategy of armed resistance against Israel,” Wood added.

But Israel may have other thoughts.

Young said Israel “is going to try to torpedo” the MoU and the talks between Iran and the US. “They don’t want these negotiations to succeed, so their way to do so is to basically continue the war in Lebanon,” he added.

According to Karim Safieddine, a nonresident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, there is “no political, technological, industrial, economic incentive for Israel to stop the war on Lebanon”.

What’s Hezbollah’s role?

Iran must also decide what it will do if Israel refuses to stop attacking Lebanon and the US is unable or unwilling to pressure the Israeli government.

Safieddine said there are divisions inside Iran, including in its state apparatus, about how far it should go to ensure Israeli aggression in Lebanon stops. After renewed Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Saturday despite another declared ceasefire, Iran announced the closure of the economically important Strait of Hormuz once again.

With the MoU, many people in Lebanon hope the end of Israel’s war is approaching. But there are still issues that need resolving.

In a speech on Wednesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem praised the movement’s patron.

“We … thank the Islamic Republic of Iran for linking Lebanon’s arena as both a resistance movement and a people to a spirit of readiness for sacrifice that compelled” Israel to “halt its aggression”, he said.

Israel and Lebanon are due to continue direct negotiations next week, and Hezbollah’s disarmament remains a major issue. The Lebanese government has moved forward with efforts to disarm the group since early 2025, but the second Israeli intensification of the conflict halted these efforts.

“Lebanon’s political leadership finds itself in yet another bind under the US-Iran MoU,” Wood said.

“On the one hand, Lebanon understandably wants to take charge of its own future, including the path towards a sustainable end to the Israel-Hezbollah war. On the other hand, it is hard to fault President [Joseph] Aoun for welcoming Iran’s insistence on including a Lebanon ceasefire in the MoU, even if it has failed to end the fighting to date,” he added.

“Lebanon has very limited agency in addressing the fundamental conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, so inevitably, Beirut will need support from outside in the coming period.”