Smoke rises from Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli strike, after an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, on March 24, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Aseries of strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on early Tuesday (March 24, 2026), the first attack on the Hezbollah stronghold in days, as Israel’s military said it captured two members of the Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military also announced it was “striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut” after having called on residents to leave the southern suburbs beforehand. The Israeli Army’s Arabic-language spokesperson Ella Waweya said “the battle against Hezbollah… has only just begun”.
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (March 23, 2026) hailed “very good” talks with an unidentified Iranian official after abruptly shelving plans for fresh attacks, even as Washington’s ally Israel vowed to keep up strikes on the Islamic republic.
However, Tehran has denied the talks and accused Mr. Trump of manipulating energy markets. The surprise announcement came ahead of a Monday (March 23, 2026) night deadline imposed by Mr. Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane or see the U.S. “obliterate” its power plants.
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Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he spoke with Mr. Trump, saying that the U.S. President believed U.S.-Israeli military gains in Iran could be converted into a negotiated agreement that protects Israel’s interests. “President Trump believes there is a chance to leverage the tremendous achievements of the IDF and the U.S. military in order to realise the war’s objectives in an agreement, an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests,” Mr. Netanyahu said.
