9 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Iran to respond if Beirut attacked

At least nine people, including a Lebanese soldier and three paramedics, were killed and several others wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanese sources, reported Xinhua.

The casualties included a soldier from the Lebanese Army. The Islamic Health Authority said paramedic Yahya Ayash, from the town of Harouf, was killed when an Israeli drone targeted an ambulance crew evacuating casualties from Zebdine after an earlier strike.

The organization added that another paramedic was wounded and that two injured civilians being transported inside the ambulance were also killed.

In Chehour, an Israeli strike directly targeted an ambulance, killing two paramedics and critically wounding a third, according to Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center.

Despite an April ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in Lebanon, while Hezbollah has launched attacks on Israeli military positions.

Meanwhile, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir on Wednesday said that there is currently no ceasefire in Lebanon for the Israeli troops, according to a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces.

Speaking during a visit to the Israeli Navy's Haifa base, he added that the Israeli army is working to maximize the operational freedom granted to it and will seize every opportunity to remove threats to Israeli civilians and troops.

According to Lebanon's health authorities, the cumulative toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon between March 2 and June 3 had risen to 3,516 people killed and 10,674 injured.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned that Iran would respond if Israel attacks Beirut, saying Tehran has informed all parties that it will not tolerate an assault on the Lebanese capital and that such a move could trigger a return to war.

In an interview broadcast by Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen on Wednesday, Araghchi said Iran's armed forces are prepared to respond and remain ready to strike Israel if Beirut comes under attack.

Araghchi accused Israel of violating the ceasefire in both Iran and Lebanon in recent days, adding that Iran considers the fate of Lebanon and Iran inseparable in the current conflict, and that any ceasefire or settlement must encompass both countries.

He said communications between Tehran and Washington have continued through exchanged messages, though no major progress has been made. He added that both sides are reviewing texts that have been exchanged and working toward a final formulation.

He reiterated that Iran seeks "peace and security based on dignity and honor" and does not seek war, stressing that Tehran has responded positively to requests for negotiations. However, he said Iran's armed forces are ready to resume military operations at any moment and possess the capability to sustain a long war.

Iran and the United States have, over the past weeks, reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for peace through Pakistan's mediation, and are working to finalize a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war.

However, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Monday that Tehran had halted the exchange of messages with Washington via mediation in protest against Israel's latest actions in Lebanon. Hours later, U.S. President Donald Trump denied the report, saying U.S.-Iran talks "are continuing at a rapid pace."

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had carried out missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, in retaliation for the overnight U.S. attack on an IRGC communications tower on Iran's southern Qeshm Island.