TV News LIES

Iran’s top diplomat has said a peace deal with the US would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, as concern grows that Israel could undermine diplomatic efforts to finally end the Middle East war, with Donald Trump even criticising his ally and war partner as irresponsible.

“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” said the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.

A Hezbollah media relations official also said the group had received ⁠assurances from Iran that it ⁠would ⁠demand a ​withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon ⁠in its next phase of talks ⁠with the US.

The comments came as Donald Trump, speaking at the G7 leaders summit, rounded on the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he had to behave “more responsibly in Lebanon”, adding that a recent Israeli bombing attack on Beirut was “vicious”.

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President Trump on Thursday lauded an Iran deal he said could be signed as soon as this weekend. As Iranian state media leaked what it said were details of the deal on Friday, Trump sounded a warning.

“The terms that Iran leaked out to the Fake News have NOTHING to do with the terms that were agreed to, in writing,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth,” he continued, calling the Iranians “very dishonorable people to deal with.”

“They better get their act together, and FAST!” he wrote. 

Soon after that, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a deal “has never been closer” urged the media to “refrain from entering speculation about its content” until it’s finalized, in a post on X.

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Military strikes that damaged two water storage facilities in southern Iran may constitute a war crime, military and legal experts say, after reviewing media reports and visual evidence of a 10 June strike on Bemani, a small district about 2 miles from the strait of Hormuz.

It’s unclear if the strikes deliberately targeted the district’s water tanks, or if they unintentionally destroyed a key reservoir for about 20,000 people living nearby. But if the tanks were the target, then the legal question becomes critical, Brian Finucane, a former state department lawyer, said. “It’s either a military objective or it’s a civilian object: attacking one is lawful, attacking the other is a war crime,” Finucane said.

Iran’s state broadcaster said Wednesday’s strikes were carried out by the US military, though the Guardian could not verify if that was the case.

“We are aware of reports and are looking into it,” Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command (Centcom), the operating authority for US military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement.

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In the southern Lebanese village of Habboush, the sound that cut through the stillness of the night was not an air strike. It was the sound of a child screaming for help.

Hashem, a paramedic in the village, heard the cries coming from an Israeli quadcopter hovering overhead. 

Speaking to Middle East Eye, he said this was not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern that has become increasingly familiar to residents who remain in southern villages.

“This is not the first time these drones have flown over us and broadcast different sounds,” Hashem said.

“Yesterday, it was the sound of children screaming and pleading for help. Before that, they broadcast the sound of an ambulance. Another time it was the Quran. Another time, it was the voice of a woman calling for help. We are living through this almost every day.”

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The U.S. military launched airstrikes Wednesday on Iran following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that U.S. President Donald Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic.

Tehran vowed to respond, again throwing into question efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in the Iran war that’s seen the Strait of Hormuz effectively choked off and global energy prices spike. Missile alert sirens sounded in the island kingdom of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which Tehran said it targeted for retaliation.

Fighter jets from the U.S. Air Force and Navy conducted the strikes, the U.S. military’s Central Command said, targeting “air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites.” Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, but gave no details on the damage.

“The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” Central Command said.

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Hours after Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel on June 7, the Israeli military said it conducted strikes against military targets in the western and central region of Iran.

Several explosions were heard in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan, local media reported early on June 8. The strikes by the Israeli military occurred after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted the Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel with ballistic missile fire on the evening of June 7.

The Israel Defense Forces said it identified missiles fired from Iran toward northern Israel and "defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat." Sirens were sounded in several areas across the country after the missiles were detected, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The IRGC said the Israeli military must halt attacks on Lebanon and warned that if Israel retaliates, it will face "more crushing and regretful blows."

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