Israel strikes Beirut after Hezbollah attack, risking Iran response

Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday in retaliation to a Hezbollah missile attack on northern Israel, Israeli officials said.Why it matters: Iran threatened last week to launch a missile attack against Israel if it attacks Beirut. Such a move could unravel U.S.–Iran negotiations and reignite the war.Israel notified the Trump administration before the strike, a U.S. official and two other sources with knowledge tell Axios.Driving the news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike answered Hezbollah missiles fired at northern Israel earlier Sunday, which the Israeli military says it intercepted.Israeli officials said the Beirut strike targeted a Hezbollah command center in Dahieh — a Shia district known as a Hezbollah stronghold. At least two people were killed and a dozen wounded, according to Lebanon's state news agency. Threat level: A senior Iranian lawmaker publicly threatened retaliation.Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, wrote on X that Iran "will give a decisive and painful response to the Zionist regime's attack on Dahieh."He told followers to "watch the skies" over Israel tonight.Behind the scenes: The Israelis told the Trump administration that Hezbollah's continued attacks on northern Israel violate a ceasefire, giving Israel the right to hit Beirut, the sources told Axios.The Israelis made clear they will continue hitting the Beirut every time Hezbollah launches attacks against northern Israel.The White House and the State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Catch up quick: On Monday, President Trump put the brakes on Israel's plan to launch massive strikes on Beirut in response to Hezbollah's drone and missile strikes.Trump lashed out at Netanyahu in an expletive-laden call.After the call, Trump announced a partial ceasefire that included an Israeli commitment not to attack Beirut in return for Hezbollah stopping attacks on Israeli border towns.On Wednesday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a full ceasefire, contingent on Hezbollah halting attacks and withdrawing its operatives from the area south of the Litani River in Lebanon.Hezbollah rejected the terms Thursday. Without Hezbollah's agreement, the ceasefire stayed "on paper."

Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday in retaliation to a Hezbollah missile attack on northern Israel, Israeli officials said.Why it matters: Iran threatened last week to launch a missile attack against Israel if it attacks Beirut. Such a move could unravel U.S.–Iran negotiations and reignite the war.Israel notified the Trump administration before the strike, a…

Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday in retaliation to a Hezbollah missile attack on northern Israel, Israeli officials said.Why it matters: Iran threatened last week to launch a missile attack against Israel if it attacks Beirut. Such a move could unravel U.S.–Iran negotiations and reignite the war.Israel notified the Trump administration before the strike, a U.S. official and two other sources with knowledge tell Axios.Driving the news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike answered Hezbollah missiles fired at northern Israel earlier Sunday, which…