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Iran war: Hezbollah rejects Lebanon-Israel ceasefire terms
Iran war: Hezbollah rejects Lebanon-Israel ceasefire terms
Louis Oelofse | Timothy Jones | Mahima Kapoor with AP, AFP, Reuters, dpaPublished 06/04/2026Published June 4, 2026last updated 06/04/2026last updated June 4, 2026The Iran-backed group Hezbollah said it will reject any deal allowing Israel to stay in southern Lebanon, while Israel said it won't withdraw from the area near the border. Follow DW for more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EpMwWhat you need to know
- Israel and Lebanon agree to ceasefire
- Hezbollah rejects ceasefire deal brokered by US
- Iran's Quds Force demanded Israel's withdrawal to pre-war positions in Lebanon
- US House of Representatives votes to end military action in Iran
This blog is now closed. Read below for a roundup of news related to the Iran war on June 4, 2026.
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Skip next section Putin says US focus has shifted from Ukraine to Iran06/04/2026June 4, 2026Putin says US focus has shifted from Ukraine to Iran
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States has shifted its focus away from Russia's war against Ukraine after launching a war of its own against Iran.
"Naturally, we can all see and understand that the US administration is being forced to shift its attention and deal with this issue above all others," Putin told journalists in St. Petersburg.
He also claimed Russia maintains a trusting relationship with Iran, adding that Moscow could play a role in helping to bring an end to the conflict.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EsEqSkip next section UN chief condemns killing of Serbian UN peacekeeper in Lebanon06/04/2026June 4, 2026UN chief condemns killing of Serbian UN peacekeeper in Lebanon
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of a Serbian peacekeeper in southern Lebanon and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The soldier, deployed as part of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), died of wounds caused by mortar fire that struck his base on Wednesday.
"Seven peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL have now been killed & several more have been wounded since the escalation in hostilities since March this year," Guterres wrote on social media.
"These attacks must stop," he added.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of firing the mortar that killed the peacekeeper and wounded two other peacekeepers. Hezbollah did not immediately comment.
UNIFIL has launched its own investigation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EsDWSkip next section WATCH: Israel-Lebanon ceasefire tested as strikes continue06/04/2026June 4, 2026WATCH: Israel-Lebanon ceasefire tested as strikes continue
A newly announced ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is already under pressure, as Israeli airstrikes continued in southern Lebanon just hours after the deal was confirmed.
Watch here for more details:
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire tested as airstrikes continue
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https://p.dw.com/p/5EsCDSkip next section CENTCOM says 127 ships turned back as US blockade of Iranian ports continues06/04/2026June 4, 2026CENTCOM says 127 ships turned back as US blockade of Iranian ports continues
The US military Central Command, or CENTCOM, said 127 commercial vessels have been redirected and six "non-compliant ships have been disabled" as part of the US blockade of Iranian ports.
CENTCOM added that it allowed 36 vessels supporting humanitarian aid efforts to pass.
Fragile negotiations between the US and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have stalled several times.
Tehran has been charging ships up to $2 million (€1.73 million) for safe passage through the strait, while the United States has imposed a naval embargo, turning back vessels carrying Iranian oil exports.
Separately, on Thursday, the AFP news agency, citing the maritime tracking firm Kpler, reported that four Iranian-flagged oil tankers passed through the strait.
The firm detected the passage on Monday of the Hilda I, the Amber, the Silvia 1 and the Happiness I.
According to Kpler, the vessels were carrying a total of 7 million barrels of oil loaded in mid-April on Kharg Island.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Es0mSkip next section IAEA flags 'proliferation concern' over lack of access in Iran06/04/2026June 4, 2026IAEA flags 'proliferation concern' over lack of access in Iran
The UN's nuclear watchdog said a lack of access to verify nuclear material in Iran posed a "proliferation concern."
In a confidential report seen by AFP and Reuters, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged Iran to inform the agency of the fate of its enriched uranium.
The IAEA has not had access to nuclear facilities in Iran since Israel and the US struck its nuclear sites last June.
"While the agency acknowledged that the military attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and sites have created an unprecedented situation, it is critical for the agency to conduct verification activities in Iran without delay," the IAEA said.
Before the strikes, the IAEA estimated Iran had about 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, near weapons-grade and far above the 3.67% cap under the 2015 deal. Its fate since then is unclear.
"The agency's lack of access to verify the previously declared highly enriched uranium and low enriched uranium for nearly a year, which is long overdue according to standard safeguard practices, is a matter of proliferation concern," it added.
The report is to be discussed at an IAEA Board of Governors meeting next week.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ErhKSkip next section Hezbollah chief demands 'comprehensive' ceasefire06/04/2026June 4, 2026Hezbollah chief demands 'comprehensive' ceasefire
Hezbollah rejected the terms of a ceasefire struck by the Lebanese and Israeli governments in US-mediated talks.
"The ceasefire must be comprehensive, without a separation between the south and the rest of Lebanon, and without the Israeli enemy having the freedom to kill," the Iran-backed group's leader, Naim Qassem, said.
He also urged Lebanon's government, which is not formally involved in the conflict and has limited influence over Hezbollah, to end direct negotiations with Israel.
Israel and Lebanon's government said the proposed "ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector." The Litani River runs around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon near the border and would not allow Lebanese citizens to return to their homes in the south of the country.
"As long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue," Hezbollah's Qassem said.
Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ErKaSkip next section Trump dismisses House vote seeking to halt Iran action06/04/2026June 4, 2026Trump dismisses House vote seeking to halt Iran action
US President Donald Trump dismissed a symbolic House vote aimed at halting US military action against Iran, calling it meaningless.
For the first time, the House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution to curb the three-month conflict, with four Republicans joining Democrats in voting in favor of the measure.
"The House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats (sic), to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote on social media.
The vote defied Trump and highlighted growing divisions over the war, which has reshaped politics at in the United States and elsewhere.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ErAHSkip next section Israel must withdraw to pre-war position in Lebanon — Iran's Quds Force06/04/2026June 4, 2026Israel must withdraw to pre-war position in Lebanon — Iran's Quds Force
Israel must pull back to positions it held in Lebanon before the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, according to the head of the Quds Force, the foreign arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
"Supporting the resistance in Lebanon is the duty of all of us, and removing Israel from the region is an attainable goal for Muslims," Esmail Qaani said in a post on a domestic social media platform.
"The minimum demand of the resistance is the withdrawal of the usurping regime (Israel) to the position it held before the start of the 40-day war," he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Eqg7Skip next section READ: Gulf states face huge challenges as Iran war continues06/04/2026June 4, 2026READ: Gulf states face huge challenges as Iran war continues
Jennifer HolleisThe Iran war has affected not only the Islamic Republic but also caused economic and other turmoil across the entire Middle East.
Gulf states in particular have been forced to perform a balancing act as they seek to avoid being pulled into the conflict, which has now run for 100 days.
They are also looking at how to bolster their security and maintain their "safe" image at a time of growing uncertainty, with longstanding alliances now called into question.
DW is looking at the conundrums they are facing amid the conflict.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EqaESkip next section Peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon — UN06/04/2026June 4, 2026Peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon — UN
A soldier from the UN's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, died on Thursday after being wounded by mortar shells that hit his position near Marjayoun the southeast of the country, the force said.
UNIFIL did not say who carried out the attack late on Wednesday night.
It said two other peacekeepers were wounded and that it had launched an investigation into the incident.
The death brings to seven the number of UNIFIL peacekeepers killed since the latest conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia erupted in March.
Serbia's Defense Ministry said in a statement cited by the AFP news agency that the peacekeeper killed was a Serbian national, naming him as Senior Sergeant Milovan Jovanovic.
According to UNIFIL, around 170 Serbian peacekeepers are taking part in the 7,500-strong force, which is deployed near the Blue Line, the 120-kilometer (75-mile) de facto border between Lebanon and Israel.
That puts it at the center of the fighting between the two sides.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EqWGSkip next section Israeli strikes kill at least 9 in Gaza06/04/2026June 4, 2026Israeli strikes kill at least 9 in Gaza
Separate Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday killed at least nine Palestinians, including five members of the same family, health officials said.
Medics in Gaza said Israeli planes launched pre-dawn strikes on four apartments, including the family's home.
At least 15 other people were wounded in the attacks, one of which also targeted the Al-Shati refugee camp to the west of Gaza City, where one person was killed, according to a civil defense agency spokesman.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attacks.
The Gaza Strip still sees daily violence despite a ceasefire technically in effect since October between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Over half of the Palestianian territory is under Israeli military control in defiance of the ceasefire's terms.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN and other world bodies, Israel has killed at least 936 people in the Palestianian enclave since the truce began.
Israel began its offensive against Hamas in retaliation for an attack the group led in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which more 1,300 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 200 abducted.
The dangers of living along Gaza's shifting front lines
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https://p.dw.com/p/5EqIkSkip next section US and Israel want to sow 'division' after their defeat — Khamenei06/04/2026June 4, 2026US and Israel want to sow 'division' after their defeat — Khamenei
Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has accused the US and Israel of trying to split Iranian society after suffering a "decisive blow" in their war on the country.
In a written message, Khamenei said "the malicious enemy" was seeking to "plant the seeds of doubt, despair, fear, mistrust and division" among the public.
"In confronting these ill intentions, everyone must, through steadfastness, insight, preserving unity and cohesion ... neutralize their sinister plot," his message said.
The message was read out during ceremonies to mark the anniversary of the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini, as well as a major Shiite holiday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Eq5kSkip next section Israeli defense minister claims 'freedom' to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks06/04/2026June 4, 2026Israeli defense minister claims 'freedom' to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks
Israel's military will continue to carry out operations in Lebanon and not withdraw for the time being, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday, despite the announcement of a new ceasefire.
Isarel and Lebanon on Wednesday had agreed to a pause hostilities, after talks brokered by the United States. As per the agreement, Lebanon-based and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah is to stop all attacks on Israel and withdraw its fighters from the south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
Katz said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon which it is occupying as part of a buffer zone, meant to protect northern Israeli communities from attacks.
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese residents have been driven out of the region since Israel began it military operation there in March. Katz said they would not be allowed to return.
"The IDF will, at this stage, continue its fire and ground operations, remain in the security zone in Lebanon up to the Yellow Line — including in the Beaufort area — and without the return of the population, while continuing to dismantle terrorist infrastructure on the ground," he said.
Katz added that Isarel's military had the freedom, with American backing, "to strike Beirut in response to fire on Israeli communities and territory."
Lebanon says Israeli drone stikes continue
Meanwhile, Lebanon's state-run news agency reported that Israeli attacks continue in the country despite the fresh ceasefire attempt. There were at least two drone strikes in the morning on different vehicles in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese civil defense authority urged people to be patient and not return to their homes prematurely.
While a ceasefire was initially agreed in early April, Israel and Hezbollah had continued to trade fire.
Israeli forces continue their advance into southern Lebanon
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https://p.dw.com/p/5EpkWSkip next section Kuwait says Iranian drone hit airport, one killed 06/04/2026June 4, 2026Kuwait says Iranian drone hit airport, one killed
Iranian drones struck and heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait's main airport on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring several others. The building had opened only Monday after a monthslong closure because of the war.
This is the latest strike in back-and-forth attacks between Iran and the US, as peace talks between Washington and Tehran appear to have stalled.
Kuwait briefly closed the airfield following the attack.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it didn't fire at the airport. Instead, it claimed that the terminal was damaged by a US-made interceptor that failed to hit Iranian missiles. Tehran did not provide any proof to support this claim.
US Central Command called the claim false and said on X that Iranian drones made a "deliberate, calculated and unjustified attack" on the airport.
India condemns attack on civilians
The Indian Embassy in Kuwait said that one person killed was an Indian national and that several other Indians were injured in the ordeal.
"We condemn the attack on the Kuwait International Airport today in which an Indian national has died and several of our nationals are injured. Since the onset of the conflict in West Asia, we have strongly urged that civilian population and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted," India's foreign ministry said in a statement.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EpSTSkip next section Trump acknowledges calling Netanyahu "crazy"06/04/2026June 4, 2026Trump acknowledges calling Netanyahu "crazy"
US President Donald Trump admitted criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling him "crazy" in a phone call, adding that he was "a little bit perturbed" that Israel's strike on Lebanon were impacting his peace talks with Iran.
The US president acknowledged this during an interview to "Pod Force One" podcast. He also played down the tensions between the two, insisting that he and Netanyahu were solid.
"We've worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him," Trump said.
Netanyahu, in an interview with Merican Business News channel CNBC, also brushed the matter off saying that though they had "tactical disagreement," they "agree on the main things."
"He respects me. I respect him. We always find a way to work out our differences," the Israeli prime minister said.
Trump's comments a rare confirmation of the growing pressure he faces to end the Iran war, which threatends global commerce, economic stability in several nations and the president's own political future.
Trump tells Netanyahu to reduce Israel's Lebanon strikes
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