The fragile prospects for peace in the Middle East suffered another setback on Sunday after Iran issued fresh threats against the United States and Israel following Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, as the regional conflict entered its 100th day.
The latest escalation comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts to transform a temporary ceasefire into a lasting settlement, while the prolonged conflict continues to unsettle global markets and increase political pressure on US President Donald Trump ahead of upcoming midterm elections.
Iran has consistently maintained that any comprehensive agreement to end the wider conflict must also address the parallel hostilities in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been targeting positions linked to the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
In recent days, Tehran had warned that any renewed attacks on Beirut would lead to what it described as a “full-scale resumption” of hostilities.
Those warnings were reignited after the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces had carried out a strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
According to the statement, the military had “just struck a militant command centre in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, in response to Hezbollah’s fire towards Israeli territory.”
Although exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah have continued along the border, strikes on Beirut’s southern districts have remained relatively rare since mid-April despite repeated threats and counter-threats from both sides.
Reacting to the attack, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator in discussions with Washington, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the United States of supporting the operation.
This and the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports, he said, “turns the bases and assets of America and the (Israeli) regime in the region into legitimate targets. Our armed forces, as always, are free to act.”
Another senior Iranian official, Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the parliament’s national security commission, also issued a warning of retaliation.
He threatened “a decisive and painful response”.
“These rabid dogs must be disciplined… Look at the sky over the occupied lands tonight,” he said, referring to Israeli territory.
Iran’s insistence on linking developments in Lebanon to broader negotiations with Washington has complicated diplomatic efforts. In a previously recorded interview broadcast on Sunday, President Trump urged Israel to adopt what he described as a “more surgical” approach to military operations in Lebanon.
As military tensions intensified, many Iranians voiced frustration over the economic consequences of the prolonged crisis.
A fitness trainer from Ahvaz identified as Elaheh described growing hardship and uncertainty affecting ordinary citizens.
“I really have gone numb.”
“Daily life? It’s a joke. Everything is horrible. We only try to survive,” the 32-year-old added, pointing to rising prices.
Another resident, Farhad, a 35-year-old chef, said worsening economic conditions were making daily life increasingly difficult.
“Things that just a few months ago you might have considered buying have now become dreams and fairy tales,” he told AFP.
Despite the rising tensions, diplomatic contacts continued over the weekend.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, arrived in Tehran and said he was carrying messages from both Pakistan’s military leadership and government.
Naqvi said upon his arrival Saturday that he would deliver a “special letter” from Pakistan’s army chief to Iran’s supreme leader, as well as a message from the prime minister, according to Iranian state television.
Pakistan’s military chief, Syed Asim Munir, has reportedly played a key role in efforts to facilitate communication between Tehran and Washington following earlier direct talks held in Islamabad.
At the same time, Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal travelled to Pakistan for separate discussions. According to a source familiar with the visit, the talks were “linked to the Pakistani mediation” between Tehran and Washington.
Signs of progress in negotiations also appeared limited.
Military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Mohsen Rezaei, told CNN that negotiations with Washington had reached an impasse.
He said talks with the US “are at a deadlock, and Trump must break this deadlock”, calling for the release of some $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
However, Trump rejected the suggestion that the funds would be released before an agreement is reached.
“(That) comes after. If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking,” he said.
Reports also suggest Washington may consider using some of the frozen funds to help offset damage caused by Iranian attacks on regional allies, according to sources familiar with discussions involving US Treasury officials.
Meanwhile, the military situation in the region remained volatile. The US Central Command said its forces destroyed two Iranian drones overnight after determining they posed a threat to international shipping in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The incident followed earlier US interceptions of Iranian drones and strikes on Iranian radar installations, actions that Tehran cited when it launched missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, further heightening fears of a broader regional confrontation.
(Ripples)
