Iran war live: US bombs Iranian sites as Trump seeks tougher deal

An Israeli drone strike targeted the town of Majdal in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, according to reports from Al Jazeera’s team on the ground.

Two additional Israeli air strikes were reported on the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon. No immediate information on casualties was available.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has praised Pakistan for preventing “a return to full-blown war on several occasions”.

Speaking alongside Pakistan’s foreign minister during a visit to Islamabad, Kallas said there is now “a 10-year diplomatic opening to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz”.

She also reiterated that any agreement should be followed by broader negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.

“I see a concrete role for the EU in helping to make any eventual agreement durable,” Kallas said.

Iran’s central military command has warned residents of northern Israel to leave their homes if Israel follows through on its threat to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs.

In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the warning was issued in response to the Israeli military’s forced displacement order for residents of Dahiyeh.

US President Donald Trump says he held a “very productive” call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and claimed Israeli troops heading towards Beirut had been turned back.

“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The US president also said he had communicated with Hezbollah through “highly placed Representatives” and said the group had agreed to stop attacks.

“Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel,” Trump said.

An Israeli attack on buildings opposite Jabal Amel University Hospital in Tyre has killed two people and wounded 23 others, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military carried out strikes on the al-Housh area on the outskirts of Tyre, as well as along the city’s coastline.

US President Donald Trump says Iran has not notified Washington that it is suspending negotiations, but indicated he was prepared to wait if communications had stopped.

“They haven’t informed us of that,” Trump told NBC. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there…We’ll keep the blockade.”

Earlier, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had halted message exchanges with the US because of Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon.

The report also said Iran and its allies were considering measures to completely block the Strait of Hormuz and activate “other fronts”.

There has been no official confirmation from Iranian authorities.

Earlier, Iran’s foreign minister said a full ceasefire in Lebanon was an “essential condition” for any agreement with the US, adding that a violation of the US-Iran ceasefire on one front would be considered a violation “on all fronts”.

As the Israeli army escalates attacks across Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to launch attacks towards northern Israel.

In the past hour, the Israeli military said it intercepted a rocket fired from Lebanon after sirens sounded in Margaliot and Kiryat Shmona. Two other rockets fell near Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon. No casualties were reported.

The army also said alerts warning of a “hostile aircraft intrusion” were activated in the northern areas of Rosh HaNikra and Betzet Beach.

It later reported that an explosive drone fell inside Israeli territory near the Lebanese border. No injuries were reported.

France has banned Israeli government representatives from attending the Eurosatory defence exhibition in Paris this month, according to Israel’s defence ministry.

Israeli weapons manufacturers have also been prohibited from displaying offensive weapons systems and will only be allowed to showcase “air defence products”.

The move comes a week after French authorities barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entering the country following the release of footage showing detained flotilla activists blindfolded, with their hands bound, as he looked on.

Oil prices climbed after fresh fighting threatened the US-Iran ceasefire, though US stock markets showed little sign of concern.

The S&P 500 fell 0.1 percent in early trading, slipping slightly below the record high it reached last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 166 points, while the Nasdaq composite was little changed.

Brent crude rose 4.7 percent, and Treasury yields moved higher, while technology stocks outperformed the broader market.

Shares in Science Applications International Corp surged after the company reported quarterly profits that exceeded analysts’ expectations.

Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 3,433 people have been killed and 10,395 wounded in Israeli attacks since fighting resumed on 2 March.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has held talks with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington.

According to a readout from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two officials discussed Islamabad-led mediation initiatives and ways of “coordinating efforts to back mediation aimed at de-escalation”.

A cargo vessel travelling in the Gulf has been struck by an unknown projectile, causing a “large explosion”, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The incident took place about 40 nautical miles (74km) southeast of Umm Qasr, Iraq.

UKMTO said it was not aware of any environmental impact from the incident.

The Israeli army's Arabic spokesperson issued expulsion threats to residents of Beirut's southern suburbs. 

"If the terrorist organization Hezbollah continues to fire rockets at cities in Israel, the [Israeli army] will respond with a targeted attack on sites in [Beirut's southern suburbs]," Avichai Adraee said in a post on X. 

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticised Iran's attacks on its "sisterly state" Kuwait, calling the moves a "flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a blatant breach of the rules of international law".

The Gulf country has expressed its full solidarity with Kuwait, and said that it backs "all measures it takes to preserve its sovereignty and security".

Other Gulf states have voiced similar condemnations of Tehran, including Oman and the UAE. 

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday said that it was prepared to contribute towards a possible ceasefire deal between the US and Iran through "maritime operations, and economic incentives".

"I see a concrete role for the EU in helping to make any eventual agreement durable, whether through maritime operations, economic incentives that support long-term stability or other issues," Kallas said.

She added that the bloc is "ready to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution", and expressed that they could bring "economic leverage, hard-won nuclear expertise, long-standing relationships with partners across the Gulf, and direct engagement with Iran itself".