Israel launches new Lebanon strikes even as Trump insists Iran deal coming soon

IranIsrael launches new Lebanon strikes even as Trump insists Iran deal coming soonIsraeli strikes Tuesday on southern Lebanon came hours after the president’s latest optimistic assessment, and risked renewed fighting with Tehran.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleU.S. in the “final throes” of Iran deal, Trump says00:58Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 9, 2026, 7:16 AM EDTBy Chantal Da Silva and Ammar Cheikh OmarPresident Donald Trump insisted again Tuesday that a deal to end the war with Iran could be just days away.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Hours after the president’s latest optimistic assessment, Israel renewed its military assault in Lebanon, striking the southern city of Tyre and issuing an evacuation warning that for the first time included the port’s Christian quarter.The attacks risked renewed fighting with Tehran, a day after clashes that had threatened a return to all-out war. The U.S. military meanwhile said it had used unmanned boats to rescue two soldiers whose helicopter went down near the flashpoint Strait of Hormuz.“We’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal,” Trump said early Tuesday of talks to end the war that the U.S. and Israel began in late February. He said the agreement would reopen the crucial waterway and ensure Iran would not be able to obtain nuclear weapons in “any way, shape or form.” His comments came after Israel and Iran agreed to step back from their first direct exchange since the April ceasefire, triggered when Tehran launched fresh strikes in response to an attack by Israel on the Lebanese capital Beirut over the weekend. Israel responded and the two sides exchanged attacks before stepping back after Trump’s calls for de-escalation.Trump said Tuesday that he’d had a “very good conversation” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the fighting. “He was hit, and he hit...