The death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon has surpassed 3,000 during the ongoing conflict with Iran, as a major US-Israeli assault planned for today has been put on hold. Israeli shelling of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon's Marjayoun district continues this morning, while strikes on Iran have been postponed, reportedly for several days.
At least seven people were killed in Lebanon on Monday. US President Donald Trump is believed to have delayed the attack in hopes that Tehran may agree to terms on its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He claimed that "serious negotiations are taking place," though he is known to be increasingly desperate for a way out, even as Iran has attacked neighbouring UAE.
American forces have been warned to remain on "a moment's notice" to launch an attack. In his announcement, Trump said the military had been put on hold but added that he had "further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault of Iran on a moment's notice in the event that an acceptable deal is not reached."
Defiant Iran has refused to give Trump a victory claim, emphasising that Tehran's involvement in settlement talks does not mean surrender. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended Iran's participation in talks while rejecting suggestions that the country was giving up. He stated: "Dialogue does not mean surrender. Iran entered negotiations with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation's rights."
Major sticking points on any peace deal have complicated negotiations, as Iran wants Lebanon and Hezbollah to be included in any settlement. It is also believed that Tehran may have told Pakistani intermediaries it could release its highly-enriched uranium to Russia rather than the United States, as demanded by Washington. Iran wants all attacks to stop in Lebanon and its home country in exchange for opening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting sanctions.
America and Israel have not agreed to include Lebanon in any settlement with Tehran, and the two sides are communicating via Pakistan as an intermediary. Trump claims "serious" talks may be forthcoming, even though Israeli and US forces have reportedly been preparing for a major attack during the past five weeks of a fragile ceasefire.
Washington was also asked by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia to hold off, claiming Iran may agree to a deal that precludes developing nuclear weapons. Lebanon's health ministry reported: "The total cumulative toll of the aggression from 2 March to 18 May is now as follows: 3,020 martyrs and 9,273 wounded." They added that this includes 211 people aged 18 and under and 116 healthcare workers among the dead.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its forces struck groups linked to the US and Israel in the western province of Kurdistan, near the border with Iraq. The war on Iran began with Donald Trump assuring protesters throughout the country that "help is on the way," as tens of thousands are believed to have been killed in a brutal security clampdown.
Even after weeks of war on Tehran, it is believed that Iran still has a large number of ballistic missiles and drones in its arsenal, representing a major threat to Israel and Iran's Gulf State neighbours, especially the United Arab Emirates.
