Rosette (left), the wife of Lebanese Army Captain Eli Khoury, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on June 6 (local time), mourns during his funeral in Kfar Jarra, southern Lebanon, on June 8. / AP-Yonhap News

Reuters: Israel pushes back against exclusion from talks; NYT: Iran seeks to demonstrate commitment to Hezbollah

According to Reuters, Israel's decision to strike Iran despite President Trump's efforts to restrain further escalation was intended as a message to the Trump administration that Israeli interests must be reflected in any U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations.

Danny Orbach, a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told Reuters that Israel was demonstrating its ability to derail negotiations if its core interests were ignored.

Ofer Guterman, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, told the The Wall Street Journal that Iran has become increasingly assertive in defending Hezbollah because it believes the United States and Israel do not share the same position on Lebanon-related issues.

The The New York Times reported that Iran's new leadership appears to believe that its more aggressive response strategy has helped the country withstand pressure from the United States and Israel while preserving the strategic leverage provided by its influence over the Strait of Hormuz.

Farzan Sabet, an Iran analyst at the Geneva Graduate Institute, told the New York Times that Iranian leaders believe Trump is unlikely to restart a major conflict while preparing to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 and facing growing economic pressures ahead of U.S. midterm elections.

"They believe he does not want to reopen the war under such circumstances," Sabet said. "And even if the conflict resumes, they appear fairly confident they can manage it."

The New York Times also reported that Sadegh Larijani, head of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, described the latest developments as a formal declaration of a strategic doctrine under which an attack on any member of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" would trigger a response extending beyond geographical boundaries and potentially alter the regional balance of power.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also emphasized on X that diplomacy and defense are "the two wings supporting national power," adding that Iran "has never left either the battlefield or the negotiating table."

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Ships are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on June 8 (local time). / Reuters-Yonhap News

Lebanon, Hormuz and the Red Sea remain key variables in ceasefire negotiations

President Trump underscored his authority over any potential U.S.-Iran agreement, telling the Financial Times that "I make all the decisions. All the decisions. Netanyahu is not the decision-maker."

According to the Associated Press, citing two regional officials, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Qatar simultaneously pressed the Trump administration to halt Israeli attacks on Iran and Beirut while also urging Iran to cease attacks on Israel.

Although Israel and Iran have suspended direct hostilities, the broader situation remains highly fluid.

On Sunday, Yemen's Houthi movement declared a complete ban on the navigation of Israel-linked vessels through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandab Strait. The The Washington Post reported that the announcement helped push July Brent crude futures up more than 4%, surpassing $97 per barrel.

The United States Central Command said U.S. forces disabled the Palau-flagged tanker M/T Marivex, which had allegedly attempted to breach the U.S. maritime blockade on Iran. According to CENTCOM, an F/A-18 Super Hornet operating from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln used precision-guided munitions to neutralize the vessel.

The The New York Times, citing maritime analytics firm Windward, reported that a fire broke out while the vessel was anchored off the coast of Oman, prompting the evacuation of all 24 Indian crew members.

CENTCOM said the incident raised the number of commercial vessels disabled by U.S. forces to seven since the maritime blockade began on April 13. The command also stated that 134 vessels had been turned back, while passage had been permitted for 42 humanitarian aid ships.

Meanwhile, the European Union expanded sanctions on Iran. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, announced that sanctions had been imposed on Mohammad Akbarzadeh, Hamid Hosseini, and the IRGC Hormozgan Regional Command.

Kallas said the move marked the first application of the EU's new sanctions framework designed to protect freedom of navigation.

                                                                                                                Ha Man-joo