Lead
Washington and Tehran have escalated their rhetoric as the war between the US and Iran continues, with President Donald Trump threatening to destroy Iranian infrastructure while Tehran rejects peace proposals and continues missile strikes. At the same time, Lebanon and Israel are preparing for a second round of talks in Washington, even as Hezbollah voices its opposition to the negotiations.
Coverage comparison
The latest developments were reported across multiple France 24 English-language live blogs, with one report from The Hindu. The coverage reveals a conflict with multiple frontlines — the US-Iran military confrontation, the Lebanon-Israel talks, and the ongoing Hezbollah involvement — each reported with slightly different emphasis across the outlets.
Key claims
US threats and Iran's response
President Trump has threatened to destroy Iran's oil export hub of Kharg Island, its oil wells, power plants, desalination plants, bridges — saying the country could be "taken out in one night" if it fails to comply with a deal to end the war. French outlet France 24 reported that Trump threatened to destroy all Iran bridges and power plants in "four hours" if no ceasefire is agreed, while also saying "but we don't want that to happen."
Tehran has described US peace proposals as "unrealistic" and fired waves of missiles at Israel as a demonstration of defiance. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message that the Islamic Republic "does not want war" with the US and Israel but would protect its rights as a nation, according to state television.
Ceasefire rejection and diplomatic efforts
Trump's expanded threat came after Tehran rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal, as reported by France 24. Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi that a diplomatic solution is the only way to end the regional crisis, the same outlet reported.
Trump also criticized NATO, Australia, Japan and South Korea for not helping the US in its war with Iran, at a White House press conference on Monday. He has, however, said Iran wants to make a deal and repeated that he will not agree to any deal that allows Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
Lebanon-Israel talks under Hezbollah opposition
Israeli strikes killed three people in Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanese state media, despite an ongoing 10-day ceasefire, The Hindu reported. Israel and Lebanon are set to hold a second round of talks in Washington this week — which officials expect to include a request for an extension of the ceasefire.
Hezbollah opposes the Lebanon-Israel talks, with its leader Naim Kassem urging Lebanon in a televised address to pull out of direct negotiations entirely ahead of the scheduled meeting between the countries' ambassadors to the US. A senior Hezbollah official said the group will not abide by any agreements that may result from the US-mediated talks.
Israel for its part has called on the Lebanese government to "work together" with it against the Iran-backed Hezbollah, The Hindu reported.
UNIFIL and regional crisis
Two UN peacekeepers with the United Nations Interim Facility in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were killed Monday in a blast in Lebanon's south, according to France 24's report, one day after another peacekeeper was killed. An Israeli airstrike near Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least three Hezbollah members, a security source told the AFP.
Global economic warning
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned that a prolonged crisis in the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global agrifood catastrophe — by disrupting fertilizer and energy exports, driving up food prices and squeezing crop yields, as reported by France 24.
Trump separately warned Iran against charging fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, saying on social media that oil will flow "with or without" Iran's cooperation.
Perspectives
The US administration continues to claim that peace talks with Iran are progressing well, with the White House saying on Monday that what Tehran says publicly differs from what it tells US officials in private. Trump insists Iran "wants to make a deal" and that he will never accept an agreement that allows a nuclear-armed Iran.
Iran's leadership, through its supreme leader, simultaneously says it does not want war and rejects the US's proposed terms as "unrealistic" while continuing military actions.
Hezbollah's leader positions the movement as firmly against the Lebanon-Israel negotiations, urging the Lebanese state to pull out entirely, while both states push forward toward Washington talks held under US auspices with facilitation from senior US officials, including US Vice President JD Vance.