Netanyahu and Trump.Image: EPA POOL
While Trump holds out the prospect of an agreement, Netanyahu and Iran are threatening new attacks. And there is said to have been a falling out between the US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The night update.
June 2, 2026, 6:00 a.mJune 2, 2026, 06:20
In view of the escalating conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, which is allied with Tehran, Iran is threatening to break off negotiations with the USA in the Iran war.
If “Israeli aggression against Lebanon” continues, they will “not only stop the negotiation path, but also enter into a direct confrontation with the enemy,” wrote Parliament President Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on X after a conversation with his Lebanese counterpart Nabih Berri. US President Donald Trump emphasized on Truth Social that talks with Tehran would continue at a “rapid pace”.
Hezbollah, for its part, has agreed to the US proposal for a mutual halt to attacks, which also applies to Israel, Aoun’s office said. Lebanon’s authorities had received corresponding confirmation. The Lebanese government itself is not a party to the conflict.
Netanyahu continues to threaten attacks
Netanyahu later issued a statement that made no mention of a new ceasefire. However, he appeared to back away from his announcement that Hezbollah would attack the southern suburbs of Beirut. If Hezbollah does not stop its attacks on Israeli cities, Israel will attack “terror targets” in Beirut again, Netanyahu wrote on X. He told Trump this. “Israel continues to adhere to this position,” he wrote. At the same time, Israel’s army will continue its deployment in southern Lebanon as planned.
The fighting between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah represents a sticking point in negotiations for a permanent agreement to end the US war against Iran. In addition to releasing Iranian assets abroad and maintaining de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is also demanding a permanent ceasefire in Lebanon as part of a final agreement.
Trump calls “next week” for possible Iran agreement
Trump told US broadcaster ABC in a telephone interview that he thought he would reach an agreement with Iran “next week” to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But he still needs to clarify some points. Trump had previously announced optimistic schedules, but reality quickly overtook them. It was only at the weekend that the USA and Iran exchanged military blows again despite the ceasefire.
The longer Washington and Tehran fail to reach an agreement, the more factors such as the struggle over the Strait of Hormuz and the conflict in Lebanon could influence events, said Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz. “It was always clear that the current course without an agreement would ultimately lead to escalation,” he wrote on X.
According to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the halt to Israeli attacks announced by Trump initially refers to the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, which are considered a stronghold of Hezbollah. “Under the proposed agreement, Israeli attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut will cease, while in return Hezbollah will refrain from attacks against Israel,” the presidential office said. The ceasefire should be extended to the entire Lebanese territory.
Report: Trump calls Netanyahu “crazy”
Hezbollah, for its part, has agreed to the US proposal for a mutual halt to attacks, which also applies to Israel, Aoun’s office said. Lebanon’s authorities had received corresponding confirmation. The Lebanese government itself is not a party to the conflict.
Because of Israel’s escalation in Lebanon, Trump is said to have attacked Netanyahu sharply on Monday in a phone call peppered with expletives, the US news portal “Axios” reported, citing two US officials and a third source familiar with the conversation. Trump called his ally “crazy” and accused him of ingratitude. Without him, Netanyahu would be in prison, Trump is said to have complained. A corruption trial has been ongoing against the Israeli head of government for six years.
Meanwhile, even after Trump’s announcement of a new ceasefire, the Israeli Air Force said it intercepted two more missiles from Lebanon. At the same time, according to the Times of Israel, Israel’s air force is said to have carried out further attacks in the northern neighboring country.
Negotiations should continue
The confrontation between Israel and the Hezbollah militia had recently escalated significantly. Israel and the Lebanese government concluded a ceasefire in mid-April. However, the Shiite militia itself rejects negotiations with Israel. The war has continued since then, with both sides continuing to attack each other on a daily basis. People keep dying, especially in Lebanon.
Israel’s soldiers had recently advanced further and further into the interior of Lebanon, but were still far from Beirut. Contrary to Trump’s claims, Israeli troops were not on their way to the capital, the Times of Israel quoted military sources that night.
Representatives of Israel and Lebanon have been negotiating conditions for defusing the conflict in Washington for weeks. However, there has been no breakthrough so far. According to the Lebanese Presidential Office, these negotiations will now continue to discuss and build on the recent progress. (sda/dpa)