Israel has once again tested the two-month ceasefire with Lebanon on Tuesday after launching military attacks on towns and villages across southern Lebanon, a day after Iran and Israel traded blows that threatened their truce.
A day prior, Iran stopped attacks against Israel but threatened to resume the war if Israel resumed its attacks, including those in southern Lebanon.
Trump Says Iran Deal Could Come in 'Two or Three Days'
Trump reiterated early Tuesday morning that a deal to end the war in Iran could be reached "in two or three days," CNN reported. Speaking to reporters after attending the NBA Finals in New York City, Trump said the outcome would stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon and would immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He said Iran and Israel had agreed to stop attacking each other.
"They were going back and forth (with strikes), and now they both agreed, through me, to stop," he said. "We're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal, that will not allow in any way, shape, or form nuclear weapons (for Iran)."
"The strait will open up right away. It'll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days."
Iran Says World Cup Ticket Allocation Withdrawn
Ticket allocation for Iran for the upcoming FIFA World Cup has been withdrawn a week before the opening game, according to the country's soccer federation. FIFA regulations note that about 8% of tickets to every World Cup game are reserved for each competing team, and they could be sold to fans. However, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran said Tuesday that ticket allocation for Iran has been withdrawn "and under current circumstances the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team." The soccer federation did not specify who pulled the allocation, CNN reported.
"This comes despite the fact that many Iranian football fans had already made travel and attendance plans based on the officially announced process," it added.
Iranian Air Defence Members Killed in Israeli Attack
Iranian state television reported at least two members of the country's air defence unit were killed in an Israeli attack on Monday. The military said funeral ceremonies will be held in Tehran on Tuesday, per Al Jazeera.
Trump Told Netanyahu to Scale Back Attacks
President Trump reportedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back from escalating strikes on Iran, telling him that Washington and Tehran were within days of working out a long-term nuclear deal, per the New York Times. After speaking with Trump, Netanyahu ordered his military to hold off on attacks on Iran that were scheduled for later. A White House official told the Times that Trump had said Israel and Iran wanted an "immediate ceasefire" and that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain.
Towns, Villages Attacked in Southern Lebanon
Israeli airstrikes pummeled towns and villages across southern Lebanon, including areas that were not covered by evacuation warnings the army had issued hours earlier. Lebanon's state-run news agency reported that at least nine people were killed in one strike near the southern city of Tyre. The country's health ministry has not published a casualty toll from the strikes, the New York Times reported.
The latest attacks test the two-month ceasefire between Israel and Iran and come a day after Israel and Iran resumed attacks on one another, testing their fragile ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Iran had threatened to restart the war with "harsher and more forceful actions" if Israel resumed its "hostile acts," which included southern Lebanon.
