Hezbollah Chief Rejects US-Mediated Israel Truce; Trump To Maintain Ceasefire With Iran Unless American Troops Killed
Summary
- Hezbollah chief rejects outcome of Lebanon-Israel talks, insisting that a truce must encompass whole country.
- WSJ reports that the White House intends to maintain a ceasefire with Iran unless American troops are killed; oil drops also after Trump states on TS
- Trump lashes out after House War Powers votes passes Wednesday evening, attacking especially four Republicans who voted in favor.
- Trump downplayed Iran's attacks on US bases in Kuwait & Bahrain, saying "they were slightly provoked...so they were reciprocating."
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Hezbollah Rejects Outcome of Lebanon-Israel Talks: Secretary General
Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem in new speech rejects the Washington-mediated conclusion to direct Lebanon-Israel talks:
Naim Qassem has warned that Israeli areas across the border will remain under threat as long as the Lebanese people and villages come under attack from the Israeli army.
He also rejected attempts to tie the group’s deployment to wider political arrangements, saying the group refuses any link between Hezbollah’s presence and a ceasefire, or Israel’s withdrawal.
Some highlights from Qassem's address:
- 'The revolution in Iran was launched from an Islamic background on the principles of resisting injustice and occupation, and it announced that it is neither Eastern nor Western"
- 'The West and America will not accept Iran as a model of righteousness and justice; rather, they want it to be subordinate to their interests and their tyranny."
- 'Thanks to Iran for helping us to regain our land and our right to confront the Israeli-American aggression despite its major confrontations"; describes direct negotiations as "absurd and humiliating" for Lebanon.
- As long as Israel is in Lebanon, resistance will continue.
- Northern Israel will remain at risk as long as Lebanese villages are being bombed.
- "We are only concerned with ending the comprehensive aggression—with a ceasefire and the withdrawal of “Israel""
- As long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue.
- "We have not given any commitment to anyone not to resist the aggression and respond to it. And as long as the aggression continues, we will confront it with all the power we have."
- "The main objective must be the withdrawal from Lebanese territories so that the army spreads in the south of the Litani River and the liberation of the detainees"
- "We do not accept any link between the existence of the resistance, the cessation of aggression and the withdrawal of "Israel"
Iran's foreign ministry is also still insisting that the broader US-Iran ceasefire must incorporate Lebanon.
Oil Prices Fall As Trump to Maintain Iran Ceasefire Unless American Troops Are Killed
President Trump in an early Thursday morning Truth Social post has said the United States is "in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War" - while blasting the Republicans who voted the night prior to limit war powers "GRANDSTANDERS" and "unpatriotic".
Even though Iran is denying that any direct negotiations are taking place, following a big flare-up this week in new tit-for-tat fighting which involved Iran sending more missiles and drones on Gulf states, especially Kuwait, the reference to 'final negotiations' was possibly enough to get oil prices to react, with a drop in crude. There was also a report that the White House intends to maintain a ceasefire with Iran unless American troops are killed.
Trump's new apparent strategy to just wait things out with no new planned military attacks has been featured in The Wall Street Journal as follows:
President Trump has told aides privately that he would consider ending the ceasefire with Iran if Tehran kills American troops, U.S. officials said, insisting that the weekslong pause in airstrikes remains intact despite a steady stream of violent skirmishes.
The president’s reluctance to reignite the war suggests he might be willing to withstand smaller flare-ups for weeks—or even months—to avoid a broader conflict in the Middle East.
And Rubio appeared to second this in fielding questions about this week's violence:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the tit-for-tat attacks as purely defensive in nature and not a renewed outbreak of full-scale war.
“They are happening in response to an Iranian action,” Rubio said in a House hearing Wednesday. “If they don’t shoot at those ships, we don’t shoot, but we have to respond.”
More evidence of Trump's apparently high tolerance for what he deems a violation of ceasefire:
Trump on Iran:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 3, 2026
In that part of the world, a ceasefire is when you are shooting in a more moderate manner. pic.twitter.com/0mLQXf9mW8
House War Powers Vote Wed. Evening
As for the House vote, it was seen as a rare direct rebuke of Trump and the fact that this war - which the American public was promised would be a 'short' military action of possibly a few 'days' or 'weeks' - is now approaching 100 days, and the war powers passed 215-208, with the four Republicans joining all Democrats in voting yes being Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan and Warren Davidson of Ohio.
Pushing Lebanon Truce Toward Goal Line
In Lebanon, there is some remotely positive news, with Lebanon and Israel saying had agreed to implement a ceasefire during talks in Washington and overseen by the US; however, once again the deal is contingent on Hezbollah agreeing to the ceasefire.
"That cease-fire is conditional on Hezbollah also stopping fighting, but in theory, the news helps to take out a key sticking point in the U.S.-Iran talks that was holding up a deal. So that’s seen oil prices reverse a run of three [days of] consecutive gains," Deutsche Bank analyst Henry Allen stated in a research note.
Trump rages at House's successful War Powers vote, which could portend a political shake-up going into this Fall's midterm elections:
Some More Latest Developments
via Al Jazeera:
- Hezbollah boss warns north Israel won’t be safe if Lebanon bombed
- Several people have been wounded in an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle after Israel and Lebanon officials agreed to halt the war during a series of meetings in Washington, DC.
- Before the truce announcement, Hezbollah said it launched a “salvo of rockets” at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon’s Qantara, and fired drones at troops near the strategic Beaufort Castle.
- The US House of Representatives passed a resolution to rein in President Donald Trump’s powers to attack Iran without congressional authorisation in a vote of 215 to 208.
- Overnight Israeli air strikes on an apartment block in Gaza City killed at least nine Palestinians with four children among the dead.
- Iran’s foreign policy a ‘consensus’ process but supreme leader gets final say