Iran 'ready for war' if negotiations fail; US and Israeli generals met Friday at Pentagon | LIVE

Iran’s top diplomat hopeful for negotiations even amid US military buildup

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN Sunday that he was “confident that we can achieve a deal” with the United States on Tehran’s nuclear weapons program.

“Unfortunately, we have lost our trust [in] the U.S. as a negotiating partner,” he said, but the exchange of messages through friendly countries in the region was facilitating “fruitful” talks with the U.S.

Refusing to promise that Iran would engage in direct talks with U.S. negotiators, Araghchi highlighted the need to address the “substance of negotiations” rather than the form.

If talks fail, Iran was ready for war, Araghchi promised, although a conflict would likely spiral beyond Iran, he added.

Top U.S. and Israeli generals met Friday at the Pentagon

Top U.S. and Israeli generals held talks at the Pentagon on Friday amid soaring tensions with Iran, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The officials did not offer details about the closed-door discussions between U.S. General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Eyal Zamir, the Israeli army chief of staff. The meeting has not been previously reported.

The United States has ramped up its naval presence and hiked its air defenses in the Middle East after President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran, trying to pressure it to the negotiating table.

Third Israeli drone strike on south Lebanon

An Israeli drone strike hit Jabbour (Jezzine), according to a security source cited by our correspondent in the area. The source said two missiles were fired.

This is the third Israeli drone strike on south Lebanon today.

Israeli drone strike on Dweir kills 1, injures a child

The person injured in the Israeli drone strike on a pickup truck in Dweir (Nabatieh) succumbed to his wounds. The drone strike also injured a child, our correspondent reported.

Israeli drone strike on Dweir injures 1

An Israeli drone strike on a pickup truck in Dweir (Nabatieh) critically injured one person.

Israeli drones launched sound bombs over Yaroun (Bint Jbeil) and Blida (Marjayoun).

The person injured in today's Israeli drone strike on construction equipment in Qanarit (Saida) is from the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp.

Wissam Badr is a resident of Ghazieh (Saida), according to our correspondent.

The Health Ministry confirmed in a statement that one person was wounded in the strike, adding that the severity of his condition was not yet known.

Israel drops leaflets in Bint Jbeil

Photo shared by Muntasser Abdallah

The Israeli army dropped leaflets early in the afternoon over Bint Jbeil. An unspecified hospital is allegedly being used by Hezbollah “terrorist elements,” the leaflet read, and residents were urged “not to approach it.”

Messages directed at Hezbollah stated: “Hezbollah members, we are watching you. Stop efforts to build terrorist infrastructure.”

The leaflets were also accompanied by posters showing several alleged Hezbollah members killed by Israeli attacks.

Moscow says extraditing Assad was 'not discussed' with Damascus

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the issue of extraditing former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to Syria was not discussed during recent talks between Moscow and Damascus.

Speaking to Turkey’s TRT channel, Lavrov said that “this issue has not been raised for a long time,” without explicitly stating whether Syria’s new authorities had abandoned any attempt to prosecute Assad, as reported by some regional media.

“Our partners are fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the arrival of Assad and his family in the Russian Federation in December 2024,” Lavrov added.

Despite Moscow’s ambiguous remarks, it remains unclear whether Syria’s new government is actively seeking Assad’s extradition or whether Russia has rejected such a request.

After the Assad regime was toppled on Dec. 8, 2024, the possibility of bringing the former Syrian ruler to justice was reportedly discussed during the first visits to Russia by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who traveled again to Moscow earlier this week, three months after a previous visit in October.

South Lebanon: Israeli drone targets construction equipment

An Israeli army drone fired five missiles at the village of Qanarit (Saida), targeting an excavator that was clearing rubble left by a recent Israeli attack two weeks ago, according to our correspondent in the area.

Construction equipment has been repeatedly targeted by the Israeli army since the cease-fire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, hampering reconstruction efforts by residents of south Lebanon, particularly in communities near the border.

Israel says MSF must leave Gaza by Feb. 28

Israel announced it would terminate the activities of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the Gaza Strip by Feb. 28 after the organization refused to provide a list of its Palestinian employees.

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which oversees the registration of humanitarian organizations, said it would “end MSF’s activities” in the Palestinian territory.

Iran's Khamenei likens protests to 'coup', warns of regional war

Iran's supreme leader on Sunday likened recent anti-government protests to a "coup," warning that any U.S. attack on the Islamic Republic following Washington's military deployments in the Middle East would trigger a regional war.

"The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, telling Iranians they "should not be scared" of Trump's rhetoric.

"They [rioters] attacked the police, government centres, IRGC centres, banks, and mosques, and burned the Quran... It was like a coup," Khamenei said, adding that "the coup was suppressed."

South Lebanon: Israeli drone strike targets reconstruction efforts, farmland

Also at dawn, an Israeli drone fired at an excavator that had already been hit in a previous attack in Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

The municipality condemned the incident in a statement, adding that at the same time, two agricultural aircraft sprayed “trees and farmland with substances suspected to be toxic,” causing alarm among residents.

Israeli army blows up two houses in Robb Thalathin

An Israeli army force infiltrated several kilometers past the border at dawn into Robb Thalathin (Marjayoun), where it blew up two houses. Neighboring homes sustained heavy damage, according to our south Lebanon correspondent.

Hezbollah claimed that the man killed in the Israeli drone strike on the same village yesterday, Ahmad Faqih, was one of its members. His funeral was held on Sunday.

Later that night, after 10:30 p.m., an Israeli mortar shell landed near the “Shanouh” farm on the outskirts of Halta (Hasbaya).

Preparations underway for full reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing, officials say

Preparations to reopen Gaza's main border crossing in Rafah were underway on Sunday, though it was uncertain any Palestinians would pass through it before the day's end, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

Before the war, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was the only direct exit point for most Palestinians in Gaza to reach the outside world, as well as a key entry point for aid into the territory. It has been largely shut since May 2024.

COGAT, the Israeli military unit that oversees humanitarian coordination, said the crossing will reopen in both directions for Gaza residents on foot only, and its operation will be coordinated with Egypt and the European Union.