Israel captures Beaufort Castle in Lebanon; Trump toughens Iran deal terms

Israeli troops have captured the strategically important Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon after heavy clashes with Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Trump has toughened the terms for a deal to end the war with Iran. DW has more.

What you need to know

Israel says its troops have captured the strategic Beaufort fortress in southern Lebanon after clashes with Iran-backed militants Hezbollah

Benjamin Netanyahu says the capture marks a 'dramatic shift' in Israel's Lebanon offensive

Donald Trump claims Iran has agreed not to have nuclear weapons

US reports say American and Iranian officials reached a framework agreement to end the war earlier this week

Trump reportedly asks for some of the terms of the deal to be toughened

Iran has 'no trust' in US in deal talks, says negotiator Qalibaf

This blog is now closed. Below is a roundup of the developments in Iran and across the Middle East from Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31:

Rubio holds talks in bid to restart Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire — report

June 1, 2026

Rubio holds talks in bid to restart Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire — report

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in hopes of achieving a "gradual de-escalation" between Israel and Hezbollah, the news agency Reuters reported, citing a US official.

The US official told the news agency that Washington did not expect Israel to "absorb" Hezbollah attacks on its civilians.

Rubio's proposal foresees Islamist militant group Hezbollah stopping its drone attacks on Israel, with the Israeli army refraining from extending its military operation to Lebanesecapital Beirut.

However, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who claimed to "guarantee" the Iran-backed militia's commitment to a ceasefire, said Israel should be the one to stop "shooting first."

UK's top diplomat calls to end escalation in Lebanon

June 1, 2026

UK's top diplomat calls to end escalation in Lebanon

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called for Israel’s military escalation in southern Lebanon to end, saying it "has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy."

Cooper also called for Islamist militia Hezbollah to stop its attacks on Israel and disarm.

"All sides must respect the ceasefire and engage with negotiations in good faith," she posted on her X account.

Iran intends to tweak US draft deal — report

May 31, 2026

Iran intends to tweak US draft deal — report

Iran will apply new amendments to the peace deal proposed by the US, which could potentially serve as a basis for a longterm ceasefire between the two countries, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, citing a local source.

The report also emphasized that the amendments do not mean Iran has accepted US President Donald Trump’s proposal.

Both Washington and Tehran have been signaling that the deal is near at hand, although details remain in flux. The US proposal reportedly includes Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and it also receiving some sort of relief in the financial sanctions against the country.

Lebanon's Health Ministry says 8 people killed in Israeli strike

May 31, 2026

Lebanon's Health Ministry says 8 people killed in Israeli strike

An Israeli strike killed eight people in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry.

Among the victims are three women, the ministry said, with 19 other people being wounded.

The news comes as Israel intensifies its military operation in Lebanon’s south, with the Iran-back Islamist militia Hezbollah also launching drone attacks into Israeli territory.

The fighting has escalated despite the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah being in place since mid-April, with both sides accusing the other of violating the agreement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently vowed to increase strikes amid pressure from both Israeli society and Netanyahu’s own far-right government.

Israel seizes strategic castle in Lebanon in deep incursion

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Wadephul expresses concern over Israeli advance in Lebanon

May 31, 2026

Wadephul expresses concern over Israeli advance in Lebanon

As hostilities escalated again in Lebanon, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Israel and Hezbollah to return to the ceasefire.

He said the Israeli military's "continued advance" into southern Lebanon is "a cause for great concern" and urged Israel to ensure that its attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah do not harm civilians or civilian infrastructure.

"Any further escalation will only exacerbate the already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon," Wadephul warned during a visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Acknowledging that Israel has legitimate security interests, Wadephul stressed that if civilians pay the price for a military escalation and parts of Lebanon become permanently uninhabitable, it would not make Israel any safer in the long run.

The German minister also called for the Lebanese state, which is not a party to the conflict, to be strengthened to stabilize the country.

According to Lebanese official figures, more than 3,300 people have been killed and over 10,000 injured in Lebanon since fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed in March.

Israeli strike kills at least two people at Gaza cafe

May 31, 2026

Israeli strike kills at least two people at Gaza cafe

At least two Palestinians were killed and at least 10 were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a packed Gaza cafe, according to health officials.

The Reuters news agency reported that the cafe struck on Sunday was located at the emergency seaport in Gaza, a floating dock that was intended to be temporary.

There was no immediate comment from Israel's military.

Since October, a ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that governs Gaza.

But Israeli airstrikes have continued, with Israel accusing Hamas of breaking the terms of the ceasefire by refusing to disarm.

Hamas, for its part, accuses Israel of not withdrawing from parts of the enclave as per the terms of the agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week said he was eyeing to control more of the Strip, while Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that what he called the "voluntary migration" of Palestinians out of the largely destroyed Gaza Strip "will be implemented."

Israel says two teens wounded in West Bank ramming attack

May 31, 2026

Israel says two teens wounded in West Bank ramming attack

A vehicle rammed into a group of Israeli civilians in the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli authorities, injuring two teenagers.

The Israeli military reported a "ramming attack in the area of Gush Junction" in the south of the occupied West Bank.

Magen David Adom, Israel's national medical, ambulance and emergency service, said its medics had evacuated two teenage girls who were hurt in an attack to a hospital in Jerusalem.

"Paramedics are treating a 17-year-old girl in serious condition with injuries to her limbs and a 15-year-old girl in moderate condition with a facial injury, and evacuating them to Shaare Zedek Hospital," MDA said.

According to the military, the suspected assailant was killed by an Israeli soldier.

Palestinian killed at barrier

In a separate incident earlier on Sunday, a Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli forces at a concrete barrier separating the occupied West Bank from Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah said a 26-year-old, Imad Haroun Ashtiyeh, was killed by Israeli gunfire near the town of Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem.

According to a relative, Ashtiyeh had attempted to climb the barrier with a few other men to get to Tel Aviv for work.

A significant number of Palestinians from the West Bank attempt to enter Israel illegally, often by climbing over the barrier.

According to Palestinian officials, they are largely driven by economic hardship and the loss of work permits since the Gaza warin response to the Hamas attack in October 2023.

Israel pushes illegal West Bank settlement to record numbers

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Macron says 'nothing justifies' escalation in southern Lebanon

May 31, 2026

Macron says 'nothing justifies' escalation in southern Lebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron has said "nothing justifies the major escalation" in southern Lebanon, where Israel has expanded its ground offensive amid its war with Iran-backed militants Hezbollah.

"France will continue its support for the Lebanese authorities in their efforts to restore state sovereignty and the country's territorial integrity," Macron added.

Macron called for an end to the fighting there "once and for all" and said it was "essential" that the US and Iran agree on a deal to end the war quickly.

"This opportunity must be seized now. The priority must be to secure a ceasefire and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, without any conditions and in accordance with international law," Macron said.

Netanyahu says Beaufort capture marks 'dramatic shift' in Lebanon offensive

May 31, 2026

Netanyahu says Beaufort capture marks 'dramatic shift' in Lebanon offensive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has ordered troops to push further into Lebanon as part of the campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

"I instructed the (military) to expand its ground maneuver in Lebanon," Netanyahu said.

The comments came as Israeli forces seized the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle, near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh, and raised the Israeli flag there.

Netanyahu described the capture as a "dramatic shift" in the fight against Hezbollah.

"The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading. We have broken the barrier of fear," he said, adding that Israel would also take control of other areas previously controlled by Hezbollah.

The Beaufort fortress is important because it is located on high ground and affords vast views over much of southern Lebanon.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said soldiers will retain control of the site as ​part of a "security zone."

"The campaign is not over yet," he said. "We are all determined to crush Hezbollah's power."

There were no immediate comments from Lebanon or Hezbollah.

Israel's latest advance follows heavy clashes with the militant group in villages near the fortress.

A ceasefire in the conflict has been in place since mid-April, but both sides have accused each other of multiple violations since then.

Israeli forces previously seized the Crusader-built Beaufort castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

Iran has 'no trust' in US, says negotiator Qalibaf

May 31, 2026

Iran has 'no trust' in US, says negotiator Qalibaf

Iran's main negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, says his country does not trust the US and will not accept any deal to end the war unless the rights of the Iranian people are guaranteed.

"There ‌is no ​trust in the enemy's words and promises. ​Our only criterion is to achieve ⁠tangible ​results before ​we fulfill our commitments ​in return," he said in comments broadcast on state television.

"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," he said.

His remarks came as Tehran and Washington continue to negotiate over a framework for an agreement to formally end the Middle East conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

On Saturday, The New York Times and Axios media outlets reported that US President Donald Trump had sent Iran a new framework proposal with "tougher" terms.

Trump has stressed that his priorities include reopening the Hormuz shipping route and ensuring Iran can never develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran, meanwhile, is seeking sanctions relief and the release of its assets frozen in banks abroad. Tehran has also called for Israel’s invasion of Lebanon to be covered by any deal to end the conflict.

France requests UN Security Council 'emergency meeting' on Lebanon

May 31, 2026

France requests UN Security Council 'emergency meeting' on Lebanon

France's foreign minister says he has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after Israeli forces captured the Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.

"I have requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council because, while we recognize Israel's right, like that of all countries, to self-defense ... nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory," Jean-Noel Barrot said on the BFMTV channel.

The foreign minister added that Israel's incursion "is not only contrary to Israel's commitments — given that a ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since April 17 — but it is also contrary to international law."

Israel announced it had seized the strategically important medieval fortress of Beaufort earlier on Sunday, saying its flag had been raised over the citadel.

It came as Israeli forces expanded their ground invasion against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and issued a sweeping order for residents in large parts of southern Lebanon to leave.

Israel announces capture of strategic Beaufort Castle in Lebanon

May 31, 2026

Israel announces capture of strategic Beaufort Castle in Lebanon

Israel's defense minister says troops have captured the strategic medieval fortress of Beaufort in southern Lebanon.

The announcement came as Israel expanded its ground operations against the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israeli forces previously seized the Crusader-built castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, in 1982 and held it until they withdrew fro