The Revolutionary Guard says a renewed war with the United States is unlikely because of the “enemy’s weakness” but vows to make Iran’s southern territory a “graveyard for aggressors”.
Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon killed 31 people and wounded 40 others as it intensified strikes and issued dozens of forced displacement threats for towns and villages in the south and east.
Iranian officials denounced the “gross violations” of the fragile ceasefire by the US saying there’s “zero trust” after new attacks on southern Iran.
Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref confirmed Iran has taken the “first step” towards restoring full internet access after a months-long shutdown.
Iran’s state TV says Tehran has obtained a draft of an initial unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding with the United States to end the war.
Under the framework, Iran would restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month, while the United States would withdraw military forces from Iran’s vicinity and lift a naval blockade.
Israeli attacks intensify across south Lebanon and Bekaa Valley
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports multiple Israeli air attacks on the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country near the ancient city of Baalbek.
An air raid hit Halbata town in the north, Buday west of Baalbek, and Flawi also in the west. There were two strikes on Hermel, a village near the Lebanon-Syria border.
NNA also reported several Israeli attacks on villages in southern Lebanon, including in the town of Tuffahta in the Jezzine region, and Arki town near Sidon.
Israel’s army has killed and wounded dozens of Lebanese civilians over the past 24 hours, in what the Health Ministry described as “massacres”.
Israeli army issues more forced displacement threats in Lebanon
Israel has issued more forced displacement orders for residents in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
The latest orders were for the towns of Kfar Huna, Aramtah, Malikh, Jarjou, and Humin al-Fawqa. This comes hours after issuing similar forced displacement orders for residents of the major city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.
Despite a “ceasefire”, Israeli forces are expanding a ground invasion beyond the “yellow line” near the Israel-Lebanon border, forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands of residents.
Trump seeks deal with Iran that makes it look like a ‘political victory’
The US president wants a peace deal with Iran that “allows him to take enough credit that it looks like a win”, says analyst Paul Musgrave of Georgetown University, Qatar.
The war has dragged on for too long for President Trump, and he’s looking to secure a deal that ends the fighting so he can “move on to the next issues on his domestic and international agenda”, Musgrave told Al Jazeera.
“A good deal for Trump might not be a good deal for the United States. It might not even be a good deal for Israel,” he added.
And that’s why there are hardliners in Washington and Tel Aviv “trying to block the negotiations through actions, words, and deeds because they want to make sure it’s a good deal for them – and their definition of what that is is much different”, said Musgrave.
Iran: ‘Main battleground today is economic war’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met members of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, urging a boost to Iran’s economy, especially its private sector, as the war goes on.
“The main battleground today is the economic war,” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Pezeshkian as saying.
“We believe the more capable, agile, and active the private sector is, the stronger the country’s economic foundation will become, and the greater our national power will be in the face of external pressures and threats,” he said.
The US and Israel have failed on the military front in the war and are now focusing on hurting Iran economically, the president added.
“After failing to achieve its objectives on the military front, the enemy has focused on damaging the country’s economic resilience and disrupting the livelihoods of the people.”
Source: Al Jazeera
