Israel vows to maintain southern Lebanon operations as US-Iran talks tackle Lebanese front

Israeli leaders have vowed to continue operations in southern Lebanon to neutralize "threats", insisting on maintaining a "security zone" there, even as U.S.-Iran negotiations in Switzerland have produced a framework to end fighting on the Lebanese front and ensure Lebanon's territorial integrity.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir said the military will continue to act against threats to Israeli soldiers and citizens, dismantle militant infrastructure and preserve its foothold in southern Lebanon.

The statement came as the United States and Iran concluded their first session of talks since the signing of a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU), held in Switzerland under the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar.

Mediators announced on Monday "encouraging" outcomes, including a 60-day roadmap toward a final deal, and mechanisms to ensure the security of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of Iran's delegation, said on Monday that the memorandum explicitly calls for ending the war against Iran and its allies. He said the two sides agreed to establish a coordination center to address outstanding issues, ensure the return of Lebanese residents to their homes and secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

Iran has consistently linked the Lebanon situation to its broader negotiations with the United States. The full text of the memorandum, published on June 17, demands an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and guarantees Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

New talks between Lebanon and Israel are set to take place in Washington from June 23 to 25, according to the U.S. State Department. A spokesman for Netanyahu said on Sunday that the goal is to disarm Hezbollah and reach a genuine peace agreement.

CNN reported Sunday that the United States has established a monitoring mechanism for the fragile Lebanese ceasefire, citing concerns that repeated violations by both sides could undermine the U.S.-Iran negotiations.

Israel vows to maintain southern Lebanon operations as US-Iran talks tackle Lebanese front

Russia and Ukraine exchanged attacks on each other's critical infrastructure including energy, transportation, communications networks, and military logistics in the past 24 hours, both sides reported on Monday.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday that Russian military groups continued to strike Ukrainian forces on multiple fronts, which targeted Ukrainian oil refineries, energy and transportation infrastructure, as well as manufacturing and storage sites for long-range drones.

The ministry said air defenses destroyed 301 Ukrainian drones overnight over its territories.

In the Donetsk region, specifically in Lyman and Kostiantynivka, Russian forces continued to advance and took control of several buildings.

In a social media post on Monday, Russia's Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said that the Ukrainian forces had launched missiles at the region that day, killing five people.

Gusev said that Russian air defense systems detected and destroyed several high-speed aerial targets over Voronezh Oblast on Monday, and that production facilities at a local enterprise had been damaged. In addition, the facades and windows of 10 residential buildings were damaged, and a number of vehicles were destroyed.

On Monday, Russian Satellite Communications Company reported that a Ukrainian military drone had attacked the Dubna space communications center in Moscow Oblast. Television, radio, and communications operations were not affected, and there were no casualties.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 84 drones were shot down near the capital, with no casualties or damage reported.

Ukraine said Monday it had struck Russian military, communications and logistics facilities while accusing Moscow of attacking foreign-flagged merchant ships in the Black Sea and killing a crew member.

The Ukrainian General Staff said its forces hit the Dubna space communications center in the Moscow region, the Kavkaz port in the Krasnodar region, two car ferries used to supply Russian troops, a Voronezh plant producing electronics for the Iskander and Kh-101 missiles, a drone operator training ground, and a bridge.

Ukrainian officials said Russian drones struck three foreign-flagged civilian ships overnight, killing an Egyptian crew member aboard a Panama-flagged bulk carrier.

Russia, Ukraine trade strikes targeting key infrastructure facilities