US says hostilities ready to resume, Hegseth warns

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salaam has warned that Israel will not be able to ensure its security through a “scorched earth policy”.

His comments on Saturday came after renewed Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Israel has intensified its bombing campaign this week, in which dozens of people have been killed.

Despite the attacks, the Prime Minister defended the controversial decision to negotiate directly with Israel. Senior military commanders from the two countries met in Washington DC on Friday, with more talks scheduled next week.

Israeli and Lebanese officials also met in the US capital in April, when they signed a ceasefire that was extended through mid-May.

Salam said negotiations were the “least costly path” for Lebanon.

His comments come after two Lebanese soldiers were seriously injured in what the Lebanese army described as an Israeli drone strike.

Separately, Lebanese television station LBC reported at least three deaths, although those casualties have not been officially confirmed.

Two Lebanese soldiers were seriously injured in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday, a day after military officials held talks in Washington.

The Lebanese army said the soldiers were “targeted by a hostile Israeli drone inside a vehicle” near the southern town of Nabatieh.

According to a report by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), Israel attacked several targets in the south of the country, including near the historic Beaufort Palace.

Earlier on Saturday, Israel ordered new evacuations in southern Lebanon.

A wave of Israeli airstrikes in recent days have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and displaced thousands.

Despite a ceasefire in effect since April, cross-border firing between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia continues, with both sides accusing the other of violating the ceasefire.

Hezbollah is based in Lebanon, but is not under the Lebanese government.

The militias protest talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials, which are scheduled to continue next week.

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The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents of seven villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of planned attacks on Hezbollah targets.

Military spokesman Avichai Adrai claimed the army was “forced to take decisive action” after alleged ceasefire violations, naming villages including areas near Nabatieh.

The warnings signal a further increase in cross-border tensions despite the intention to stop the fighting.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States has enough weapons to resume war against Iran if needed.

Addressing a defense conference in Singapore on Saturday, he said, “Our ability to relaunch if necessary… we are highly capable, our stockpiles there and around the world are more than suitable for that, because of how we balance superior and more abundant weapons.”

Hegseth said the United States has a global responsibility to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons.

Regarding the ongoing discussion of a possible ceasefire, Hegseth said that any agreement with Iran would be a good deal.

Military officials from Israel and Lebanon held “productive” talks in Washington on Friday, Pentagon second-in-command Elbridge Colby wrote on Twitter.

“Today at the Pentagon, I hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon for a security track supporting the ongoing peace talks between the two countries,” Colby wrote.

He said that this meeting will complement the upcoming diplomatic discussions.

“We held military-to-military discussions, which will inform the state-led political track department next week,” he wrote.

Talks between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials have been going on since April. However, the talks are complicated by the fact that Israel’s target, Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah, is not participating and has refused to accept its results.

Welcome to DW’s ongoing coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States has enough weapons stockpile to resume military operations against Iran if needed.

Meanwhile, military officials from Israel and Lebanon held talks in Washington in what US officials described as productive talks.

Stay tuned for more news and analysis.