The US military attack targets within southern Iran as part of what it claimed was a defensive measure in response to threats posed by Iran to American troops.
Despite President Donald Trump calling for a complete diplomatic revolution in the Middle East region, with Israel also escalating attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The strikes included hitting missile sites and Iranian vessels which had been attempting to lay mines along the Strait of Hormuz.
Captain Tim Hawkins stated that “we continue to defend our forces while employing restraint as part of the ongoing ceasefire.”
However, Trump maintained in his latest social media post that discussions with Iran were moving “nicely ahead” although he warned that failure to agree on the talks would result in another military confrontation.
Separately but in a similar diplomatic effort, Trump said over the weekend he had spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, and urged them to join the Abraham Accords in any wider arrangement with Tehran.
This demand seems to have been an addition to the already tedious peace talks that Washington has with Tehran, according to reports which indicated that the demand may make it even more difficult for the US to conclude a deal soon.
War News: Iran disputes Trump claim as both sides edge closer to ending war
Two American officials said that the officials on the phone were shocked by the demand, especially those from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, all of which do not have official diplomatic ties with Israel.
The US president then reportedly asked jokingly whether they were still there when the demand went unanswered.
Pakistan becomes the first nation to dismiss the proposal. Other nations mentioned by President Trump have not yet responded to his call.
However, it is unlikely that the other nations will be supportive considering their people’s anger towards the Israelis because of their actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
Netanyahu pledges to intensify Lebanon operations
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the military to “press the pedal even harder” against Hezbollah in Lebanon and vowed to intensify military action against the group.
Netanyahu’s warning follows weeks of Hezbollah firing fibre optic drones at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, a type of weapon widely used in the war in Ukraine.
Israel’s air force hit Hezbollah positions in Lebanon late Monday, including in the eastern Bekaa Valley.
The daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah have continued despite a US brokered ceasefire in place since April 17.
The Hezbollah has ignored repeated pleas, including a recent ultimatum, to stop firing at Israel, a US State Department official said.
More than 3,000 people have reportedly lost their lives in Lebanon since the start of the current bout of hostilities that commenced on 2 March following attacks by Hezbollah using rockets at northern parts of Israel two days after the US and Israel hit targets in Iran.
Also Read: Trump scraps AI order at the last minute as he eyes Cuba and presses Iran on uranium
An Israeli official quoted by Channel noted that the country currently lacks defense against Hezbollah drones stating that such a “reality is deadly”.
Meanwhile, there were indications that following Netanyahu’s remarks on social media, citizens in Beirut’s southern suburbs began evacuating.
Events that have occurred concurrently in Iran, the Gulf as well as Lebanon are indicative of the volatile situation in the region that renders any prospects for peaceful diplomacy elusive.
