Day 121 | Trump threatens to annihilate Iran after renewed attacks

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Read more: Day 122 | US, Iran agree to halt mutual attacks in Hormuz: Axios

A senior US official tells Axios that Washington and Tehran have agreed to halt mutual attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and will hold a meeting on Tuesday in Doha, in a development reported by Axios citing an unnamed senior American source.

The 'Israeli' army destroyed an extensive tunnel built by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed on Sunday.

"The tunnel, stretching more than 200 metres and reaching a depth of over 25 metres, contained hundreds of weapons as well as several launch shafts intended to target the State of Israel and its civilians," the joint statement said.

"Israel informed the United States and the US representative in Lebanon in advance of the destruction of the infrastructure," it added.

Iran did not take part in technical talks scheduled for Sunday due to recent attacks on the country and what it described as unfulfilled conditions under a memorandum of understanding with the United States, according to a member of the Office of Preservation and Publication of the Works of Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Speaking to Iranian state television, Mehdi Fazaeili said Tehran’s absence from the talks was linked to both security developments and outstanding commitments related to the agreement framework with Washington.

“For example, one of the reasons is checking if we have access to the unfrozen funds; if there is no access then this condition has not been fulfilled,” Fazaeili said.

An 'Israeli' military investigation found that a Hezbollah explosive-laden drone, not an anti-tank missile as initially believed, struck a tank on June 19, killing a battalion commander and three soldiers.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during a visit to Baghdad that Article 5 of the memorandum of understanding with the United States assigns Iran the responsibility for ensuring the free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day negotiation period.

Araghchi said this means vessels must coordinate with Iran before transiting the strategic waterway. He added that Tehran believes the United States has sought to establish an alternative maritime corridor, while Iran and Oman are discussing a long-term arrangement to administer the Strait after the negotiations conclude jointly.

Until then, Iranian officials say Article 5 grants Tehran sole authority and responsibility over the passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Lebanon’s health ministry says the toll from 'Israeli' strikes has risen to 4,247 killed and 12,195 injured since March 2.

Iran said on Sunday that a complete withdrawal of 'Israeli' forces from southern Lebanon must be included in any final agreement with the United States, as clashes continued to test a recently signed framework aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the withdrawal of 'Israeli' troops from all occupied Lebanese territory was a prerequisite for achieving a "final and lasting agreement" that would bring stability to the region.

"The withdrawal of occupiers from all occupied Lebanese areas is necessary for reaching a final and lasting agreement to establish regional stability," Baghaei was quoted as saying by Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Baghaei also stressed that the first clause of the memorandum of understanding signed earlier this month must be fully implemented. The provision calls for the "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," and states that the final agreement should confirm a permanent end to the war. However, it does not explicitly require an 'Israeli' military withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reiterated Tehran's position during a conversation with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday.

"Our objective is to end the war in Lebanon, enable displaced people to return to their homes, end the occupation, and secure the withdrawal of the Zionist regime from Lebanese territory," Ghalibaf said, adding that Iran was pursuing the issue "with determination."

'Israel' launched renewed strikes on southern Lebanon on Sunday, days after signing a US-backed framework agreement with Beirut, as Hezbollah rejected the deal and warned it could trigger internal conflict.

The agreement aims to end decades of hostilities by linking an 'Israeli' withdrawal to the disarmament of Hezbollah, a condition the group has declared "null and void."

An Aramco helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura on Saudi Arabia's eastern coast, west of the Strait of Hormuz, killing 14 Saudi citizens, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Authorities said an investigation is under way, with the participation of the relevant agencies, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The crash comes after Aramco resumed crude oil loadings at its Ras Tanura export terminal on Friday following a nearly four-month suspension linked to the US-'Israel' war on Iran. Saudi Arabia has since accelerated oil exports as regional producers increase shipments under a temporary agreement aimed at halting the conflict.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said some factions continue to fuel tensions and seek to draw the country into new challenges despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Speaking on the recent negotiations, Pezeshkian said consultations were held among various institutions within Iran's political system, adding that the opposing side was ultimately compelled to accept Tehran's conditions.

Several large commercial ships have crossed the southern section of the Strait of Hormuz toward Gulf ports, signaling a growing tendency to use a route running close to Oman’s coastline, according to CNN.

The report said the vessels included two oil tankers, two liquefied natural gas carriers, and a container ship that all entered the Gulf on Sunday using the same passage.

The ‘Israeli’ Foreign Ministry said Iran’s government is fueling chaos and instability across the region, stretching from Lebanon to the Strait of Hormuz, and accused it of exporting conflict and undermining peace efforts.

In a statement, the ministry said Iran’s policies contribute to ongoing regional tensions and pose a threat to stability, adding that Tehran remains opposed to diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalation.

The US military is reportedly studying the possibility of establishing new bases in ‘Israel’ as part of a broader review of its deployment strategy in the Middle East, according to the Walla news site.

The report said the review is examining how US forces are positioned across the region, though no final decisions have been announced.

It added that the potential expansion is still under consideration within a wider reassessment of American military presence and operational readiness in the Middle East.

Three Palestinian fighters were killed, including Mansour Sami Mahmoud Shahtout, in an ‘Israeli’ air raid that struck central Gaza on Friday, according to military statements.

The ‘Israeli’ army said the men were travelling in a vehicle while armed, claiming they posed a threat to its troops operating in the area.

It added that the naval unit involved in the strike operates under Hamas’s military wing and is responsible for planning and directing attacks against ‘Israeli’ forces in Gaza and within ‘Israel’.

An undisclosed meeting between the chief of staff of the 'Israeli' military and the commander of US Central Command focused primarily on Iran, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The report said the CENTCOM commander had also been expected to visit northern areas but canceled the trip amid escalating clashes between the United States and Iran linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

It added that the 'Israeli' chief of staff and the head of strategic planning participated extensively in discussions and coordination meetings with the US military leadership.

The ‘Israeli’ army said an officer was killed and a soldier injured during combat operations in southern Lebanon, as cross-border clashes continue to intensify.

In a brief statement, the military confirmed the casualties occurred in active fighting in the south but did not immediately provide further operational details.

US Central Command targeted several new Iranian military sites in the Strait of Hormuz overnight on Saturday, including positions that had not previously been struck, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing a source familiar with the operation.

According to the report, the targets included newly established Iranian facilities, as well as surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and mine-laying capabilities.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad opposes any expansion of the conflict in the Gulf and rejects attacks on Iran, stressing that disputes should be resolved through dialogue rather than military escalation.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Baghdad, Hussein described it as regrettable that Iran had become the target of war and aggression. He said Iraq had previously played an important role in bridging differences between Tehran and Washington, but those efforts had ultimately failed to prevent the conflict.

Hussein also called for implementing the parties' understandings to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the maritime blockade on Iran.

Iran is frustrated by Oman's decision to open a shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has reduced Tehran's leverage over the strategic waterway, the Financial Times reported, citing a diplomat.

According to the report, mediators are engaged in talks with the parties involved in the conflict in an effort to de-escalate tensions and prevent further escalation in the region.