Web Desk/AFP

Navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world's oil and gas passes, on March 1, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

Middle East

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf describes the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a “clumsy and ignorant decision,” saying tensions nearly escalated during behind-the-scenes talks involving an American minesweeper near the strategic waterway.

All you need to know about Day 50 of US-Israel war on Iran

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pressure on Israel over its military campaign in Lebanon intensified on Tuesday, as Italy suspended defense ties, Spain issued a blunt legal rebuke, and China called for respect for Lebanese sovereignty. In Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the suspension of a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Israel. The pact, in place since 2006, covers military training, industrial cooperation, &nbsp;and technology sharing. According to AFP, Italian officials said the move followed reports that Israeli forces fired warning shots at a United Nations peacekeeping convoy in southern Lebanon that included Italian personnel, an incident that drew strong backlash in Italy, a key contributor to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). &ldquo;In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,&rdquo; Meloni said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI. In Beijing, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez delivered a sharp condemnation, accusing Israel of violating international law and describing its conduct as &ldquo;intolerable,&rdquo; AFP reported. Speaking during an official visit, S&aacute;nchez said the war had been a &ldquo;mistake&rdquo; from the outset and called for the European Union to suspend its cooperation framework with Israel. He also urged accountability, warning that there should be &ldquo;no impunity&rdquo; for what he described as criminal acts, and said Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire arrangement. Separately, Iran&rsquo;s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that &ldquo;the essence of civilizations reveals itself at critical historical junctures,&rdquo; adding that positions taken by countries including Spain, China, Russia, T&uuml;rkiye, Italy, and Egypt against what he described as &ldquo;warmongering and crimes&rdquo; reflect their deep cultural and historical roots.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2044063688584507580&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=3362cbd2995e2849f5202d296d2c5f703c1a9990&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> China&rsquo;s response included Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying Lebanon&rsquo;s sovereignty &ldquo;should not be violated&rdquo; and stressed the need to protect civilian lives, urging all parties to de-escalate. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to the remarks.

A photograph taken from the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon shows Israeli soldiers driving along a road running beside destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15, 2026. (AFP)

Europe

Asia

Italy suspends defense ties, Spain condemns Israel, and China urges restraint as global pressure mounts over Lebanon strikes. Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian also criticizes Israel, highlighting the widening international backlash.

Global pressure grows on Israel as Italy, Spain, China criticize Lebanon strikes

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;Israel and Lebanon released a joint statement saying that they held &ldquo;productive discussions&rdquo; and agreed to launch direct negotiations as the two sides met in Washington, the United States said on Tuesday. &quot;The participants held productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,&quot; State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. &quot;All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue,&quot; he said. The announcement came after Israeli and Lebanese envoys held more than two hours of talks mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. &quot;The United States congratulated the two countries on this historic milestone and expressed its support for further talks, and for the government of Lebanon&#39;s plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran&#39;s overbearing influence,&quot; Pigott said. And it &quot;affirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track,&quot; he added. Lebanon was pulled into the region-wide Iran war on March 2 after pro-Tehran Hezbollah attacked Israel. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million, despite international calls for a ceasefire, and Israeli ground forces have invaded southern Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon agree to launch direct negotiations after “productive” talks in Washington mediated by Marco Rubio, marking a potential step toward de-escalation.

Israel, Lebanon agree to direct negotiations after 'productive' talks: US

BEIRUT: Lebanon&#39;s presidency said Friday that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbors.&nbsp;Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks with Israel.&nbsp;After a ceasefire was announced between the United States and Iran this week, Washington and Tehran have been at odds over whether it also applies to Lebanon, as Israel has kept up heavy strikes on the country and Hezbollah has responded with its own attacks.&nbsp;A statement from Aoun&#39;s office said that a first telephone call was held on Friday between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington and the US ambassador to Lebanon, who was also in the American city.&nbsp;&quot;During the call, it was agreed to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the State Department to discuss declaring a ceasefire and the start date for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices,&quot; the presidency statement said.&nbsp;A Lebanese government official told AFP on Thursday that Lebanon wants a ceasefire before starting any negotiations with Israel.&nbsp;Earlier Friday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem urged the Lebanese government to stop giving &quot;free concessions&quot; to Israel and vowed that &quot;the resistance will continue until the last breath&quot;.&nbsp;Hezbollah has rejected direct talks between the two countries, instead calling for Israel&#39;s army to withdraw from Lebanon.

Lebanon and Israel will meet in Washington to discuss a ceasefire and possible negotiations. Lebanon seeks a truce first, while Hezbollah opposes talks, urging continued resistance and demanding Israeli withdrawal despite ongoing clashes.

Lebanon presidency says Israel talks to take place Tuesday in Washington

US and Iran confirm coming to Islamabad for peace talks, Israel continues to strike Lebanon as Tehran guarantees safe passage for maritime traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, Pakistan PM Sharif invites delegations from both countries to Islamabad, 'to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.'



Day 40: All you need to know about US-Israel war on Iran

BEIRUT: Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Saturday that 46 rescuers and five medical staff had been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hezbollah on March 2. Nassereddine said in a press conference that &quot;the number of martyrs in the health sector... is 51 martyrs... including 46 paramedics and 5 health workers, including nine new paramedic martyrs today.&quot; The minister said the nine medics killed in south Lebanon on Saturday included four from Hezbollah&#39;s Islamic Health Committee who were targeted by Israeli strikes while carrying out rescue missions, and five from the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement&#39;s Risala Scouts, who were also on duty.

Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Saturday that 46 rescuers and five medical staff had been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hezbollah on March 2

Lebanon says 46 rescuers, 5 medical staff killed in Israel-Hezbollah war

Americas

Israel's military said an Iranian missile on Saturday struck the southern town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, after medics reported some 20 people injured by shrapnel.

All you need to know about Day 22 of US-Israeli war on Iran

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on March 16, 2026, in Washington, DC (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out reaching a ceasefire agreement with Iran, saying Washington has the upper hand in the three-week-old war.

All you need to know about Day 21 of US-Israeli war on Iran

BEIRUT: UN peacekeepers said they were fired upon &quot;likely by non-state armed groups&quot; in south Lebanon on Sunday, while a Hamas source said an Israeli strike killed an official from the Palestinian group. Israel said no direct talks were planned with Lebanon to end the latest war with militant group Hezbollah, which has been raging for two weeks. The statement came a day after a Lebanese official said Beirut was preparing a delegation to negotiate with Israel. Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, with Israel launching air raids on the neighboring country and troop incursions into border areas. Lebanese authorities said the death toll in Israeli attacks rose to 850, while more than 830,000 people have registered as displaced, including some 130,000 staying in collective shelters. Driving rain on Sunday piled more misery on displaced people, hundreds of whom have been sleeping rough or in tents near central Beirut&#39;s seafront. Coffee shop owner Nader, 42, displaced from Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs, said he had rebuilt his home after the previous Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2024 and feared it had again been destroyed. &quot;Here we have nothing, and the situation is very bad with the heavy rains and wind -- it&#39;s very cold, lots of babies are sick, and we can&#39;t protect them,&quot; he told AFP. &#39;No&#39; talksThe United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its peacekeepers were fired upon three times on Sunday, &quot;likely by non-state armed groups&quot; in the country&#39;s south, two days after a different position was hit by fire that Lebanon&#39;s official National News Agency (NNA) had blamed on Israel. The NNA reported Israeli strikes on the country&#39;s south and east on Sunday, while Hezbollah claimed a series of attacks on sites in Israel and on Israeli troops in south Lebanon. The group also said its fighters fired an &quot;advanced missile&quot; at the Palmachim air base south of Tel Aviv. The NNA said Israel struck &quot;an apartment in a residential building&quot; in a northern district of the coastal city of Sidon, killing one person and causing a fire. An AFP correspondent saw damage to an apartment building as the army cordoned off the area while rescue teams fought a blaze and residents rushed into the street, some carrying belongings. The Hamas source, requesting anonymity, said official Wissam Taha was killed. Israel has repeatedly struck Hamas targets in Lebanon in recent years, including during previous hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that erupted over the Gaza war, and after a 2024 ceasefire. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has proposed direct negotiations with Israel, but Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday responded &quot;no&quot; when asked whether Israel was set to hold such talks. Maritime border deal&nbsp;Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen instead called for the cancellation of a US-brokered 2022 maritime border deal with Lebanon, adding that &quot;a vague promise&quot; of improved security for Israel under the deal &quot;was not fulfilled&quot;. A Lebanese official had told AFP on Saturday that the country was preparing to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel, but that there was no agenda, timing, or location yet decided for any talks. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the Lebanese government was ready to engage in &quot;direct talks&quot; with Israel, and he offered to host negotiations. Israel&#39;s military also renewed an evacuation warning for Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs, which it has repeatedly struck in the past fortnight. An AFP photographer in south Beirut saw empty streets covered with debris and buildings flattened, with smoke still rising in the area after strikes in previous days. Southeast of Sidon, Lebanon&#39;s health ministry said an overnight strike killed three people in the village of Al-Qatrani. While Israel&#39;s military said it hit &quot;several Hezbollah launch sites&quot; there. The Israeli army also said it had destroyed &quot;command centres&quot; belonging to Hezbollah&#39;s elite Radwan Force in Beirut.

An Israeli self-propelled howitzer artillery gun fires rounds towards southern Lebanon from a position in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border on March 15, 2026 (AFP)

Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks continued across Lebanon, with a Hamas official killed in Sidon; Authorities reported 850 deaths and more than 830,000 displaced, as Israel rejected direct negotiations with Lebanon to end the fighting.

UN force in Lebanon says peacekeepers fired upon

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said Lebanon was ready to engage in &quot;direct talks&quot; with Israel and offered to host negotiations in Paris. &quot;The Lebanese government has signalled its willingness to engage in direct talks with Israel,&quot; he said on X, adding that &quot;all sections of society must be represented in these talks.&quot; &quot;France is ready to facilitate these talks by hosting them in Paris,&quot; Macron said, adding he had spoken to the president and prime minister of Lebanon, a former French protectorate. &quot;Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos,&quot; Macron added. &quot;Hezbollah must immediately halt its reckless course. Israel must abandon plans for a large-scale offensive and cease its massive air strikes.&quot; Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel.

French President Emmanuel Macron says Lebanon is ready for direct talks with Israel and offers Paris as a venue for negotiations, while urging Hezbollah to halt attacks and Israel to abandon plans for a large-scale offensive

Articles tagged with "Lebanon"