Israel and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) to implement a ceasefire but said it would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after U.S.-led talks in Washington.

U.S.-Israel war on Iran: Follow LIVE updates on June 4, 2026

The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also agreed to create “pilot zones” in which the Lebanese armed forces “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”.

The development came despite continued cross-border attacks earlier in the day, with Hezbollah saying it targeted Israeli troops and Israeli strikes killing at least nine people in southern Lebanon.

The joint statement said the ceasefire was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah as well as evacuation of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon.

The meetings in Washington were the fourth round of direct talks by Lebanese and Israeli diplomats since fighting erupted on March 2, when Hezbollah renewed attacks against Israel in support of Iran.

Both sides will meet for more talks the week of June 22, the statement said, “with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement”.

Lebanon state media says Israel strike kills paramedic

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a paramedic, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported late on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) citing Lebanon’s health ministry.

“The Israeli enemy, in what marks the fourth attack in less than 24 hours on paramedics and healthcare facilities, directly targeted an ambulance team affiliated with the Islamic Health Committee in the town of Zibdine in the Nabatieh district, resulting in the death of one paramedic and the injury of another,” the NNA reported. The Islamic Health Committee is linked to Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s health ministry said earlier on Wednesday that two paramedics were killed in a separate Israeli strike, with at least 130 emergency and health workers now killed since the Israel-Hezbollah war began in March.

Hostilities continue

Earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said he wanted to separate talks on the conflict in Lebanon and those on the war with Iran.

Tehran, however, insists the conflicts are linked and its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Beirut would trigger a “full-scale resumption” of war.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a “hostile aircraft” and two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon on Wednesday (June 3, 2026).

Hezbollah, for its part, said that “in response to the Israeli enemy army’s violation of the ceasefire”, its fighters targeted soldiers in northern Israel with a rocket barrage.

A truce to halt the fighting in Lebanon was meant to take hold on April 17, but has never been observed, with both sides justifying their ongoing attacks by the other’s alleged violations.

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati had told AFP on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) that the group would “not accept a partial ceasefire”.

Paramedics

Among the Israeli strikes on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) was one targeting a car on the main highway out of the capital, the NNA said.

The NNA also reported strikes on more than 20 locations in the south, some after Israel’s military warned residents of several villages to evacuate.

The health ministry said an Israeli attack on Al-Hawsh near the city of Tyre killed four Syrians and two Palestinians.

But an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP‘s Jerusalem bureau that “we are not aware of any such attack having occurred in the area”.

The Lebanese health ministry said an Israeli strike elsewhere in the south targeted an ambulance, killing two paramedics from the Risala Scouts Association, which is affiliated with Hezbollah’s ally the Amal movement.

The ministry circulated images of a badly damaged ambulance, with medical masks spilling out of the vehicle and scattered on the road.

At least 130 emergency and health workers have been killed since the fighting began.

Lebanon’s army said a soldier was also killed in an Israeli strike, while an officer and a soldier were wounded in a separate attack on a military vehicle.

The force denounced what it called Israel’s “deliberate targeting of army personnel, vehicles and positions”.

Petition

On Tuesday (June 2, 2026), Israel’s military alleged that Hezbollah members were operating in Tyre’s Christian quarter and said it would warn people to leave should the group remain there.

An AFP correspondent said the situation in Tyre was relatively calm on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) morning, adding that some people who had been sleeping in cars or tents at the edge of the Christian quarter left for other parts of the city.

A petition calling for Tyre to be declared an “open city” free of any armed presence and urging Lebanon’s military to deploy there has garnered more than 180 signatures, including local lawyers and intellectuals.

Hezbollah has a strong presence in Tyre, and some signatories have since been attacked on social media for their stance.

More than 200 people have signed a similar petition concerning Nabatieh, another large south Lebanon city that has come under Israeli attack.

Israel has recently escalated its attacks and is staging its deepest ground offensive into Lebanon in two decades.

Published – June 04, 2026 08:59 am IST

(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

Three months after Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu launched the war on Iran, Mr. Trump is still negotiating a temporary ceasefire extension and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for economic concessions to Tehran. A deal is yet to be reached. Considering their originally stated aims of regime change in Tehran, the dismantling of Iran’s missile and nuclear programmes and the curbing of its support for regional non-state allies as their major objectives, it is clear that this war has gone rather badly for Washington, as The Hindu’s editorial today points out.

“Mr. Trump’s military campaign has failed to achieve any of its declared objectives. By striking U.S. bases across the Persian Gulf and taking control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran widened the conflict regionally and economically,” it noted, contending that if Mr. Trump is serious about a negotiated settlement, a deal is within reach. “But if he seeks to achieve through diplomacy what he failed to secure through war, he risks entangling the U.S. in yet another forever war,” the editorial said.

Meanwhile, the United States said on Thursday (May 28, 2026) that it had shot down five drones launched by Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and struck a ground control station in Bandar Abbas, while Iran fired ballistic missiles at an American base in Kuwait, threatening ongoing negotiations to end the war, Stanly Johny reports.

The waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea has emerged as the most consequential battleground of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, with Tehran effectively taking control of the route and rattling energy markets and the global economy. As the only gateway to the high seas from the Persian Gulf, the Hormuz Strait has remained one of the world’s most important waterways for centuries, writes Stanly Johny, in this timely profile of the narrow strait, 50 km wide at its entrance and exit, connecting the Persian Gulf waters to the Gulf of Oman, which joins the Arabian Sea. “One of Mr. Trump’s key demands for a deal today is that Iran should reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was fully open before Mr. Trump and his ally Benjamin Netanyahu launched this war on February 28.”

Quad meet

After months of anticipation, the foreign ministers of the Quad grouping met last week. However, the forum, which concluded on May 26, 2026, offered little clarity on when the next Quad Summit, to be hosted by India, will take place, Suhasini Haidar and Kallol Bhattacherjee report.

The joint statement issued after the meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio merely noted that they were “looking forward to the next Summit.”

The leaders made no direct reference to the war in Iran, the provocation by the United States and Israel or the torpedoing of an Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean. Did U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s four-day visit to India succeed in easing tensions between Washington and New Delhi? This week on Worldview, we look at the key takeaways from Rubio’s visit, the outcomes of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting, and the major discussions surrounding the ongoing war in Iran. Suhasini Haidar brings us the key takeaways in this latest episode of Worldview.

Even as the future of the grouping’s future engagement has emerged as a key concern, “The Quad could benefit from some reflection on how to ensure that the grouping moves forward in tandem on its worthy objectives, not as one that pulls in different directions,” The Hindu’s editorial observed.

Top 5 stories we are reading this week

1. Inside China’s green transition: Ningbo, in southern Zhejiang Province of China, was once a historic maritime hub shaped by Buddhist culture and trade. It has now emerged as a key hub for showcasing China’s green industrial push, where electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, and tightly integrated supply chains are powering the country’s bid for global leadership in the technologies of the future. Ananth Krishnan reports from the port city.

2. International law, ‘optional’ for powerful States: Imperfect though it may be, the rules-based order remains humanity’s strongest defence against chaos, writes MP Shashi Tharoor

3. A journey of the heart: Forty days, some 13,000 kilometres, and 24 trains crisscrossing India – retired Sri Lankan official Saman Athaudahetti tells The Hindu about his transformative train adventure through India

4. On Ebola, India must stay alert, not alarmed: India must respond with science, preparedness, surveillance, and calm leadership, certainly not fear, stigma, or panic, writes public health expert Dr. Ishwar Gilada

5. Brinkmanship in the age of growing conflict: The growing reliance on brinkmanship threatens an already fragile global order, writes strategic analyst Arjun Subramaniam.

Published – June 01, 2026 01:13 pm IST

U.S. President Donald Trump. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Iran on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) said a return to war was unlikely but that its military was nonetheless “lying in wait”, while U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “finish the job” if Tehran did not agree to deal.

The mixed signals underscored the fragile state of talks aimed at ending a West Asia war that has shaken global energy markets and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal. So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be,” Mr. Trump said at a televised White House cabinet meeting.

“Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”

Mr. Trump also appeared to direct a warning at Oman, a U.S. ally and mediator in the conflict, when asked about a possible short-term arrangement allowing Iran and Oman to control the Strait of Hormuz.

“No, the Strait is going to be open to everybody,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that, they’ll be fine.”

The White House did not immediately clarify whether Mr. Trump had misspoken. Oman has played a mediation role in the war and has itself come under attack from Tehran.

Iranian media reported early Thursday (May 28, 2026) morning that three loud explosions were heard near the port city of Bandar Abbas, around 1:30 a.m. (2200 GMT on May 27).

Earlier on Wednesday (May 27, 2026), Iranian Revolutionary Guards official Mohammad Akbarzadeh said the likelihood of “war is low because of the enemy’s weakness”, but warned the military was “lying in wait with full magazines” if attacked, Tasnim news agency reported.

Mr. Trump, who said at the weekend a deal was close, also told the cabinet meeting he was in no rush.

‘Complete fabrication’

The West Asia war erupted in late February with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, sending oil prices soaring.

Hopes of an imminent deal sent benchmark oil contracts falling more than 5% Wednesday (May 27, 2026).

Global stocks mostly rose, with all three major U.S. indices posting modest gains and fresh records, as investors looked past conflicting signals from Washington and Tehran.

Traders were also buoyed by a retreat in U.S. Treasury yields as oil prices fell, while another surge in technology stocks added momentum to the rally.

Economists have warned that prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could keep energy prices elevated, feed inflation and force central banks to raise interest rates.

Adding to optimism, Iranian state TV reported that Washington had committed in a draft framework to lift its naval blockade, restore traffic through Hormuz and withdraw US forces from the Gulf.

The report cited what it called a draft memorandum outline, but the White House dismissed it as “a complete fabrication”.

A day earlier, Iran accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire after the most serious strikes since the truce took effect, and warned it was ready to retaliate.

The U.S. military said it launched “self-defence strikes” on Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats overnight Monday to Tuesday.

‘Will there be missile strikes?’

Iran and the U.S. have traded threats for weeks while negotiating through Pakistani mediation.

Neither side appears ready to compromise on the main sticking points: Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.

On Wednesday (May 27, 2026), the Revolutionary Guards’ navy said only ships “willing to abide by Iranian order” could pass through Hormuz.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday (May 26, 2026) that a deal remained within reach, but that the Hormuz would be reopened “one way or the other”.

Iranian authorities also partially restored access to the global internet Tuesday (May 26, 2026) after a three-month shutdown.

“I do feel better now because I finally can use my favourite applications,” said Hana, a 20-year-old student in Tehran who gave only her first name.

“At the same time, I have this concern that war might resume any minute and just cut me off again from my friends.”

Amir, a 27-year-old software developer in the Iranian capital, also feared renewed fighting despite talk of a deal.

“I feel like nothing is certain yet,” he said.

“The daily question is: Will there be missile strikes tonight?”

Fighting expands in Lebanon

In Lebanon, Israel launched broad strikes on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) and declared a huge swathe of the south a new combat zone, urging residents to leave.

The warning further strained an April 17 ceasefire that has done little to halt fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which drew Lebanon into the war by attacking Israel in early March.

Iran says any peace accord must apply to Lebanon.

An Israeli military spokesman warned civilians to evacuate north of the Zahrani River, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Israel-Lebanon border, “as all areas south of the river are considered combat zones”.

Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli forces “at point-blank range” in a strategic town just beyond an Israeli-declared “yellow line” in south Lebanon.

ldIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday (May 25, 2026) to “crush” Hezbollah, while army chief Lieutenant Colonel Eyal Zamir said Wednesday (May 27, 2026) that Israel was “intensifying our operations” against the group.

Published – May 28, 2026 07:09 am IST

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to board his plane at Jaipur International Airport in Jaipur, India on May 26, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

India’s tea industry captains, feeling the pinch due to the West Asia conflict, on Thursday (May 21, 2026) observed one of the gloomiest International Tea Days since it became a calendar event in 2005.

According to the Indian Tea Association (ITA), the largest tea planters’ body in the country, the West Asia crisis has affected exports to countries around the Gulf of Persia and the Gulf of Oman.

About 87% of India’s total tea exports are concentrated in 21 countries across Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and West Asia. Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt account for 46% of the exports.

The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran began in February. Tea exports registered a declining trend between January and March compared to the corresponding period in 2025, reflecting lower export volumes across both North India and South India.

Assam, other northeastern States, and West Bengal are the largest producers of tea in the industry’s North India region, which largely accounted for the landmark 280.4 million kg of tea exported in 2025, with an export value of ₹8,488.43 crore—the highest in recent years.

The ITA said the freight rates have increased due to disruptions in major shipping routes, and the shipping lines have begun imposing an emergency fuel surcharge on cargo loaded from India to various destinations.

The association also said price realisation continued to lag behind rising input costs, driven by higher insurance premiums, increased currency volatility, and higher energy and fertiliser costs.

Short-term challenge

“The ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia are beginning to have a noticeable impact on the global tea industry, particularly affecting exports, demand, and consumption patterns. Delays in shipments and higher transaction costs are impacting competitiveness in major markets such as Iran, the UAE, and Iraq,” Dinesh Bihani, the secretary of the Guwahati Tea Auction Buyers’ Association, told The Hindu.

“The economic uncertainty and currency volatility in the West Asian countries have led to cautious buying behaviour among importers. This has resulted in softer demand, especially in bulk and mid-grade tea segments,” he said.

Mr Bihani said the rising input costs, particularly fuel prices, are affecting out-of-home tea consumption domestically, too. “Small vendors and the foodservice sector are experiencing pressure, while household consumption remains relatively stable but price-sensitive,” he said.

He, however, said the current situation presents short-term challenges for the tea industry, with pressure on export volumes, margins, and demand sentiment.

“The industry remains hopeful that stability will return soon, enabling a recovery in trade flows and consumption,” he said.

Bidyananda Borkakoty, the adviser to the North Eastern Tea Association, said the theme of International Tea Day—“Sustaining tea, supporting communities”—announced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, is highly relevant to Assam, as the livelihood of lakhs of people depends on the beverage.

He said that the industry was bracing for exports to dip drastically from the 2025 high, with shipments getting delayed by more than 40 days. “With so many lives at stake, it is extremely important that the tea industry remains sustainable and continues to thrive,” he said.

Published – May 22, 2026 04:32 am IST

U.S. President Donald Trump. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Iran has provided “free of charge services” to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz for decades but is now working on a “protocol” to include a financial component covering costs it incurs to make navigation safe in the Persian Gulf region, said the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in New Delhi on Wednesday (May 13, 2026).

Speaking to a select group of journalists at the Embassy of Iran, Mr. Gharibabadi, who is here for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting, avoided naming the UAE directly and said “a neighbouring country that is also a member of the BRICS” is thwarting a joint statement at the meeting by trying to introduce language that seeks to condemn Iran’s military strategy against U.S. and Israeli attacks.

Read the story here

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters