Middle East margins slide into a fresh cycle of warfare chaos following the collapse of talks between the USA and Iran, with the Islamic Republic issuing an unprecedented directive for the evacuation of northern Israel on the afternoon of June 1, warning of a barrage of missile attacks, Tass agency reports. The Iranians emphasize that the missile strike will be activated provided the Netanyahu regime carries out its threats of fresh strikes in Beirut. It is pointed out that the ongoing invasion by Israel into Lebanese territories is also the reason for which, earlier, Iran terminated the process of negotiations with the USA, while it pledged for the total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the Red Sea for the transit of Western tankers. For his part, Benjamin Netanyahu gave an order to the Israeli military to bomb the southern suburbs of Beirut, in the most severe escalation of the war of Israel in Lebanon since the supposed ceasefire was announced on April 17. In this context, the truce in the Middle East now seems a dead letter, while the fate of the negotiations between Iran and the United States is judged, to say the least, as uncertain.
Inconceivable: Trump intervention for the cancellation of Israeli strikes in Beirut, terror after the Iranian warnings
The Iranian threats for a sweeping strike against northern Israel led Trump to an urgent communication with Benjamin Netanyahu on the evening of June 1, in order to abort the scheduled Israeli strikes against Beirut. According to the Israeli Channel 11, Washington intervened specifically in order to avert a strike which would lead to a collapse of the Israeli-Lebanese talks scheduled for tomorrow 2/6 in the American capital, before these even begin.
According to the same report, the truce constituted the price to keep the diplomatic avenue alive for another 24 hours. At the same time, the United States is allegedly preparing sanctions against Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, who conveyed to Washington tonight, through official Lebanese channels, the acceptance of the truce by Hezbollah.
Shock warning from Iran: "Evacuate northern Israel immediately, unprecedented strikes are coming"
A little earlier, the central headquarters of the armed forces of Iran, Khatam al-Anbiya, had called on the residents of Israel to evacuate the northern part of the country if the Jewish state attacks Beirut of Lebanon. "The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to strike Dahiya and Beirut and issued an evacuation warning for their residents. Due to the repeated violations of the ceasefire [by Israel], we warn: if this threat is realized, the residents of the northern regions and the military settlements in the occupied territories will have to evacuate these regions if they do not want to be exposed to danger and harm," the IRNA news agency transmitted, quoting part of the announcement.
At an earlier time, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that Iran is suspending contacts with the United States within the framework of the negotiating process due to the Israeli strikes on the territory of Lebanon. According to the agency, Tehran will not resume negotiations with Washington until Israeli troops withdraw fully from the territory of Lebanon and the strikes cease.
Chaos and flight cancellations at Ben Gurion Airport
Concurrently, a highly reliable source from Ben Gurion Airport reports that the situation prevailing at the aerodrome is unprecedented. "What is happening at the airport is outrageous. I have not seen anything like it for 35 years. The American military is already here, at least six months earlier than scheduled," the same source allegedly states.
According to the same briefing, thousands of flights for passengers in Israel are expected to be canceled in the coming weeks, affecting the entirety of routes and destinations. The source adds meaningfully that "the only place left to leave, to decompress and clear one's mind is a huge base, and indeed a base where one can remain for a long period of time." "Get ready," the warning concludes.
Shock retreat by Trump: "The suspension of negotiations does not mean that we will start dropping bombs"
At the same time, Donald Trump stated that he has not received a briefing from Tehran regarding the reports that Iran is suspending talks with the United States, noting however that, if the information is confirmed, "there is no problem." "I think we have talked way too much... silence would be very good," he characteristically mentioned.
Trump clarified that silence "does not mean that we will start dropping bombs," adding: "We will maintain the blockade. The blockade is steel." Asked if he can wait for Iran as long as necessary, he replied: "I think I can wait as long as they want. They are losing a fortune."
The cynical command of Netanyahu that enraged Iran: "Level Beirut"
Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu gave an order to the Israeli military to bomb the southern suburbs of Beirut, in the most severe escalation of the war of Israel in Lebanon since the supposed ceasefire was announced on April 17. The Israeli prime minister and his minister of defense, Israel Katz, stated on Monday, 1/6 that they gave instructions for strikes against "terrorist targets" in the southern suburbs, due to, as they claimed, "repeated and ongoing violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah." The battles between Israel and Hezbollah have not stopped despite the truce of April 17, and Israeli strikes have cost the lives of more than 800 people in Lebanon since its announcement.
In retaliation, Hezbollah has targeted Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and, in recent days, launched rockets toward northern Israel. Until recently, it was considered that the ceasefire excluded Beirut from Israeli strikes, although Israel has struck the southern suburbs twice, something which, at any rate, constitutes a decrease compared to the daily bombardments of the capital prior to April 17. The residents began to flee the southern suburbs minutes after the statement of Netanyahu. This displacement was familiar. The residents there have been forced to abandon their homes several times in the last three months. More than one million people have been displaced due to Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, as well as due to the dozens of forced evacuation orders that the Israeli military has imposed on towns and villages across Lebanon.
Clear Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi: Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon
For his part, the minister of foreign affairs of Iran, Abbas Araghchi, stated that any ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington applies to the entirety of the region, including Lebanon, warning that a violation on any front will be considered a violation of the broader agreement.
The chief of Iranian diplomacy stressed that the United States and Israel will bear the responsibility for the consequences of any action that undermines the framework of the truce, at a time when tensions remain high due to the brutal Israeli war in Lebanon. The statements of Araghchi are recorded amid growing concern over the stability of the truce and reinforce the message of Tehran that the situation in Lebanon constitutes an integral part of any regional de-escalation agreement.
Double shock with total, Iranian block in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea
Tehran intends to interrupt negotiations with the United States because of the Israeli attacks in Lebanon, while it is even examining the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a publication of the Iranian news agency Tasnim on Monday. As the outlet reports, Iran will suspend "talks and the exchange of messages through mediators," citing the continuation of the "crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon." The resolution of the crisis in Lebanon reportedly constituted one of the primary conditions that Tehran had set for the advancement of a peace process.
Concurrently, the Iranian side accuses the United States of "violating the ceasefire on all fronts." According to Tasnim, Tehran is also examining the possibility of a complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important maritime passages globally for the transport of oil and natural gas, as well as the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, with the goal, as reported, to "punish the Zionists and their supporters." It is noted that the above information originates from the Iranian agency Tasnim and has not been confirmed by independent sources.
In the air the 60-day ceasefire Memorandum between the US and Iran
This development comes just a few days after the reports regarding a preliminary memorandum of understanding, MOU, between the United States and Iran, which provided for the extension of the ceasefire by 60 days and the commencement of talks on the nuclear program of Tehran. This was the cautious optimism that prevailed last week. However, the latest developments show that the climate has now shifted perceptibly. The message that emerges is that the United States, and likely Israel, seem to have underestimated the fundamental importance that Lebanon has for the strategic position of Tehran.
The assessment that the exercise of sufficient pressure toward Iran could convert its commitments toward Lebanon into mere rhetoric seems to be refuted by the events. For the Islamic Republic, Lebanon constitutes an issue of both strategic and ideological importance. At the same time, pressure is intensifying from the support base of the Iranian regime for substantial actions and not only for symbolic statements of support toward Beirut. Under these conditions, the acceptance of an agreement at a time when Israel continues its military operations in Lebanon could bring significant political cost inside Iran. This is a parameter that Tehran can hardly ignore or downgrade.
Explosive rise of over 6.30% for Brent crude
Of note, an explosive rise is recorded on Monday, 1/6 by oil prices, following the decision of Tehran to unilaterally suspend negotiations with the USA, a development which brought back concerns over destabilization in the region and a potential undermining of the fragile ceasefire between the USA and Iran. Brent oil, which constitutes the international benchmark, is strengthening today by 6.35%, reaching 96.90 dollars per barrel, while the American WTI marks an explosive rise of 7.29% and is shaped at 93.70 dollars a barrel.
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