UN chief condemns Israeli strikes on Beirut, urges restraint

Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force commander said Hezbollah was nearing a major victory over Israel.

"The people of the world recognize Lebanon's independence through the greatness of Hezbollah's sacrifices, not through the dependence of some rulers," Esmail Qaani said in a message published by Iranian media.

"Let the whole world look with more open eyes. The victory of the great resistance of the heroic Hezbollah over the vile Zionists is near, God willing," he added.

Iran’s joint military commander Major General Ali Abdollahi said the country’s armed forces were “finger on the trigger” and ready to strike “the heart of the enemy,” state news agency IRNA reported.

Abdollahi said Iran’s combat, defensive, missile, naval, drone and air defense capabilities had been upgraded under the orders of the country's supeme leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

“The sacred ideal of the liberation of Jerusalem and revenge for the blood of Ali Khamenei will never be forgotten," Abdollahi said.

He added that Iran was waiting for the “smallest mistake” from the enemy to “teach them an unforgettable lesson.”

The Israeli military said it killed senior Hezbollah commander Ali Musa Daqduq, whom it accused of playing a central role in attacks and combat operations against Israel and its forces.

The Israel Defense Forces said Daqduq had held five senior positions in Hezbollah.

The military said Daqduq orchestrated the kidnapping and killing of five American soldiers in 2007.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Israel’s strike on Beirut was not expected to disrupt plans for a preliminary memorandum with Iran to be signed.

“From all I know, we are on track. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” Hegseth said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

“We’re attuned to what’s happening with Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel, which they need to stop doing, and Iran needs to encourage them to stop doing that in very adamant ways,” he said.

Hegseth said Israel was “very measured in its response,” adding that it understood “we’re on the verge of a deal.”

“I don’t expect that to disrupt,” he said. “If Iran wants this to hold, they need to pull back Hezbollah, no doubt.”

Hegseth said any arrangement with Iran would require its nuclear material to be destroyed, removed or downblended, with inspections and oversight.

“Nuclear material will be destroyed and removed. The nuclear program will be dismantled,” he said.

He also said the US military option would remain in place if Iran failed to comply with the terms of a deal.

“We’ll make sure the military option is there,” he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said decisions on war and negotiations with the United States rest with Ians's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council, and that all factions must follow those decisions.

Speaking at a meeting with media officials, Pezeshkian said it was regrettable to use labels such as “treason” and “selling out the country” against Iran’s negotiating team.

He said commentary on state TV about the war and talks with Washington does not necessarily reflect the views of the Supreme National Security Council, the Supreme Defense Council or Mojtaba Khamenei’s guidance.