Trump's Iran Deal Fury

Trump's Rage Over Beirut Strikes Nearly Derailed the Deal

Trump was furious that Israel struck Beirut apartment buildings while US negotiators were hours away from a signing ceremony with Iran. "Why did Bibi have to do a f*cking attack?" Trump told reporters, according to Axios. He called the strikes "vicious" and "too much," saying Israel was hunting militants but destroying entire buildings to do it.

CBS News reported Trump personally phoned Netanyahu in an "infuriated" call. Trump argued that Israeli actions in Lebanon were undermining his top diplomatic priority. Iran's position makes that link explicit: Tehran is conditioning any deal on Israeli military withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon it has occupied since mid-March. Every Israeli strike makes that condition harder to meet.

Netanyahu Says Israel Will Act Alone on Iran's Nukes

Netanyahu has not backed down. His office told The Jerusalem Post that Israel is not bound by any US-Iran agreement and will act independently to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Israel also says its troops remain in southern Lebanon to ensure Hezbollah disarms — a condition that directly clashes with Iran's demands at the negotiating table.

That puts the Geneva signing at risk before it even happens. Gulf News reported the deal runs on a 60-day clock once signed, giving both sides time to finalize details on Iran's nuclear stockpile and sanctions relief. But if Israel refuses to withdraw from Lebanon, Hezbollah has signaled it will block a permanent truce — potentially collapsing the framework entirely.

Huckabee Pushes Back, Oil Flows Again as Stakes Rise

Trump's own ambassador to Israel publicly broke with the president's framing. Mike Huckabee told an audience in the West Bank: "Without Israel, there would not be an America." MEAWW News reported the remark as a rare open split between a Trump envoy and the White House line — reflecting a deeper divide between transactional deal-making and ideological support for Israel within Trump's own team.

Meanwhile, energy markets are already responding to the diplomacy. Crude prices fell $4 per barrel after the deal announcement, according to The Guardian. Iran's oil exports had collapsed 93% during May under the US naval blockade imposed April 13. The two supertankers that broke through on June 16 — the Diona and Hero 2 — carried 3.8 million barrels combined, signaling the blockade is easing even before the formal Geneva signing.

Australia Eases Travel Warnings as Region Stabilizes Cautiously

Australia quietly adjusted its travel advisories on June 17, reflecting cautious optimism. Foreign Minister Penny Wong moved Israel and several Gulf states from "Do Not Travel" down to "Reconsider Your Need to Travel," according to SBS News. Non-essential travel to the region is still discouraged, but the downgrade signals that Canberra sees the security environment as less acute than it was during the height of the conflict.