Raids bombed Iran, while Iranian missiles and drones attacked Tel Aviv in Israel and sites across the Middle East on Tuesday, even as President Donald Trump stated that the United States was in discussions with Tehran to end the war.
The fighting continued vigorously after Trump postponed his self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s control over that crucial waterway has disrupted international shipping, caused fuel prices to soar, and posed a threat to the global economy.
Pakistan volunteered to host diplomatic talks, as confirmed by officials from Pakistan and two other countries, but Iran remained defiant, pledging to fight „until complete victory.”
The U.S. had tentatively agreed to participate in talks in Pakistan, according to three Pakistani officials, one Egyptian official, and a Gulf diplomat, while mediators were still trying to convince Iran. Pakistani officials mentioned that the „quiet diplomacy” became more complicated after the news leaked.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to disclose details to the media. Requests for comments were sent to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the White House.
The office of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that he engaged in discussions about the war this week with counterparts from several countries. However, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed the idea of negotiations as „fake news,” and a spokesperson for Iran’s top military command issued a defiant statement.
„Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, triumphant, and resolute in defending Iran’s integrity, and this course will continue until complete victory,” Major General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi was quoted as saying on Iranian state television on Tuesday.
Aliabadi did not specify what victory would entail, but Iran’s military may be signaling against making concessions in any potential negotiations.
Several killed in Lebanon
In Tel Aviv, a missile hit a street in the city center, shattering windows of an apartment building and causing smoke to billow.
„We witnessed destruction, smoke, and chaos,” said rescue worker Yoel Moshe, describing his arrival at the scene. He mentioned that four people sustained minor injuries, and rescuers were searching the area for others.
Meanwhile, Israel stated that it conducted a series of extensive strikes on Iranian „production sites,” without offering further details. In Tehran, a large explosion was heard in northern neighborhoods and another in the city center.
Israel also targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, stating that it aimed at infrastructure used by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
A strike on a residential building southeast of the Lebanese capital resulted in the deaths of at least three people, including a three-year-old girl, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Another five individuals were killed in the south.
Defense Minister Israel Katz declared on Tuesday that Israel would occupy the southern part of Lebanon up to the Litani River to establish a „defensive buffer,” revealing Israel’s intention for the first time to seize territory amounting to nearly one-tenth of Lebanon.
The Lebanese government did not offer an immediate response.
„If our government is not standing by us, what can we do?” asked Najib Hussein Halawi, who fled his hometown of Kfar Kila near the border weeks ago. He mentioned that the village is in ruins.
Hezbollah vowed to resist Israeli troops from occupying southern Lebanon, labeling such a move as an „existential threat” to the Lebanese state.
Israel has destroyed five bridges over the river since March 13 and escalated the demolition of homes in Lebanese villages near the border, part of its campaign against Hezbollah rather than civilians. Under international law, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including homes and bridges, are generally prohibited.
Katz previously warned Lebanon’s government that it would lose territory if it failed to disarm Hezbollah, which dragged Lebanon into the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran by firing into Israel on March 2.
Lebanon declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata on Tuesday and ordered him to leave by Sunday, after expelling dozens of other Iranian nationals, including diplomats, earlier this month.
Lebanon clarified that this action did not signify a severing of diplomatic relations with Iran, although it underscored the ongoing deterioration in ties. Iranian flights were prohibited from landing in Lebanon due to concerns that they might transport weapons or funding for Hezbollah, and some prominent Lebanese officials criticized Tehran’s role in the country, accusing it of dragging Lebanon into another conflict with Israel.
Authorities reported that Israeli strikes have killed over 1,000 people in Lebanon and displaced more than one million. Iran’s death toll exceeded 1,500, as confirmed by its Health Ministry. Fifteen individuals died in Israel. Additionally, more than 13 U.S. military personnel lost their lives, along with over a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab countries.
Some of these states remained on high alert on Tuesday.
A Moroccan civilian contractor working with the UAE armed forces was killed in Bahrain in an Iranian attack, according to the United Arab Emirates defense ministry. In Kuwait, power lines were damaged by air defense shrapnel, leading to partial electricity outages lasting several hours. Saudi Arabia announced the destruction of Iranian drones targeting its oil facilities.
