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3 Brazilian men charged after woman tossed from bridge without safety rope

Three men face potential charges after a 21-year-old woman died when rope-jumping instructors allegedly launched her from a bridge without a...

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Three men face potential charges after a 21-year-old woman died when rope-jumping instructors allegedly launched her from a bridge without attaching the safety ropes meant to stop her fall, authorities said.

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old student, died Saturday during a rope-jumping event at an abandoned bridge about 90 miles northwest of São Paulo, Brazil.

Police investigator Andrea Levy told reporters Monday that the three instructors involved in the jump acknowledged that Rodrigues de Freitas was not connected to any safety equipment before she was launched from the bridge.

"They do not remember whether they forgot to attach [the ropes], or who was supposed to do it, or who failed to check. But the fact is the ropes were not attached to her," Levy said.

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The three instructors were arrested following the incident and could face criminal charges, The Associated Press reported.

Brazilian authorities said the three instructors were arrested on suspicion of homicide with "eventual intent," a legal concept under Brazilian law that generally applies when a person is deemed to have accepted the risk that a death could occur. According to Brazilian outlet G1, citing investigators, the instructors were booked on the charge at the scene.

Investigators said Rodrigues de Freitas requested to be launched from the bridge "airplane style," with two instructors lifting her above their shoulders while she stretched out her arms.

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Video shared online appears to show two helmeted men tossing the young woman from the abandoned bridge moments before the fatal fall. The instructors appear to be wearing harnesses connected to safety lines.

Authorities said Rodrigues de Freitas fell approximately 130 feet.

Brazilian media reported that Rodrigues de Freitas had purchased a guided hiking excursion that included the rope jump from the abandoned bridge.

ORLANDO RIDE MAINTENANCE TECH ALLEGES SAFETY ISSUES WERE IGNORED BEFORE TEEN FELL TO HIS DEATH IN 2022: SUIT

Rope jumping is an extreme sport that differs from traditional bungee jumping. Instead of elastic cords that create a vertical bounce, rope jumping uses low-stretch climbing ropes designed to transform a fall into a pendulum-like swing.

The City of Limeira identified Rodrigues de Freitas as a resident of Jandira and issued a statement expressing condolences to her family.

"At this moment of pain, the City of Limeira stands in solidarity with the young woman's family, friends and loved ones," municipal officials said in a statement Saturday.

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The city said it would cooperate with authorities investigating the incident.

Rodrigues de Freitas was buried Sunday.

Levy told Brazilian television program "Jornal Nacional" that investigators were examining whether the group conducting the jump was authorized to operate at the site. According to G1, Levy said investigators believe a failure to verify the placement of the safety rope contributed to the fatality.

In a statement cited by G1, attorneys for the three instructors said their clients had experience conducting the activity and that the incident was the first fatality during their years of operation.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the apparent safety failure, including who was responsible for ensuring participants were properly secured before jumping.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Monday, June 15, 2026

Officials on Monday revealed new details about a series of arson attacks targeting properties connected to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alleging the suspects were recruited and directed by a Russian-speaking handler.

According to police and court reporting, the suspects were promised payment to carry out a coordinated campaign in London in May 2025, including attacks involving a vehicle and two properties linked to Starmer.

A new investigation reported that the handler is believed to be a diplomat trained in information warfare and part of a broader Russian sabotage and disinformation operation directed from Moscow, according to the Kyiv Post.

Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were convicted in connection with the arson plot after Lavrynovych was recruited by a Russian-speaking Telegram handler known as "El Money," according to police and court reporting. Kyiv Post reported that Carpiuc was also born in Ukraine. A third defendant, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted.

BRITISH POLICE INVESTIGATE FIRE AT PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER'S LONDON HOME

According to police, Lavrynovych was recruited through Telegram by a Russian-speaking handler saved in his phone contacts as "El Money," who allegedly directed him through a series of increasingly serious tasks while promising payment in return.

"Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I’ll send you the money you need to leave the city," the handler allegedly wrote in one message cited by investigators, according to Kyiv Post.

BRITAIN INTRODUCES SWEEPING NEW POWERS TO TARGET FOREIGN STATE-LINKED GROUPS INCLUDING IRAN'S IRGC

The handler reportedly offered Lavrynovych Russian citizenship in exchange for carrying out the attacks and frequently voiced support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the outlet. Evidence also suggested that "El Money" was trained in information warfare by propagandists and intelligence operatives, the outlet said.

Investigators added that Russian operatives allegedly coordinated the campaign remotely through social media platforms and Telegram, using fake far-right and Muslim online communities to sow division and fear in the U.K., Kyiv Post said.

The Russian Embassy has reportedly denied any involvement, rejecting "any attempt to associate Russia or its foreign ministry with unlawful activities," according to the report.

SYNAGOGUE IN LONDON TARGETED IN ATTEMPTED 'ANTISEMITIC HATE CRIME,' UK POLICE SAY

According to officials, the three arson attacks occurred over a five-day period in May 2025.

The first attack took place on May 8, when a Toyota vehicle formerly owned by Starmer was set ablaze.

A second fire was set on May 11 at the entrance of a residential property that was managed by a company in which Starmer had previously served as a director and shareholder.

The third attack occurred on May 12 at a house that is owned by the prime minister.

"The actions of the two men involved in these arson attacks were incredibly reckless, and it was sheer luck that nobody was killed or injured," Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said in a statement.

Police said Lavrynovych was arrested on May 13 last year after detectives linked the suspect to the attacks through CCTV footage and phone records indicating he had conducted reconnaissance ahead of the fires.

Authorities said Carpiuc was arrested on May 17 in the departure lounge at Luton Airport moments before boarding a flight to Romania.



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TEL AVIV, Israel: Reactions in Israel to the Memorandum of Understanding reached by President Donald Trump and Iran on Sunday have been a mix of wait-and-see-the details and outright criticism.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed on Sunday that Tehran and Washington had finalized a memorandum of understanding ending the war after months of negotiations. In a statement, the council said all military operations across multiple fronts, including in Lebanon, would cease "immediately and permanently."

Talks on a comprehensive final agreement will reportedly begin only after both sides have implemented their obligations under the framework and are expected to continue for up to 60 days.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES PEACE DEAL WITH IRAN, DECLARES STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL REOPEN: 'LET THE OIL FLOW!'

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment, on Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz, held back from directly criticizing the deal but said that the IDF would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, warning that if Iran attacks Israel in response to the fighting against Hezbollah, "we will strike it with full force."

He said, "The IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, without any time limit, to protect the border and Israeli communities against jihadist elements."

Katz described the security zones as "among the IDF’s greatest achievements" in the multi-front war since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, adding that Israel therefore opposes an IDF withdrawal from Lebanon despite all the pressures that will still come.

Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had conveyed these positions to U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior American officials, including U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

"We will not compromise on Israel’s security interests and the protection of our citizens," he concluded.

IRAN’S REGIME SPINS NUCLEAR AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ DEAL WITH TRUMP AS VICTORY OVER US, ISRAEL

Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and former chief of the research division in the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate, told Fox News Digital that the details of the agreement remain sketchy.

"There was a debate within the Iranian leadership over whether to accept the deal," he said. "It appears that the information we are hearing is coming from those who opposed it. Maybe they are right, maybe they are wrong, but it raises major concerns in Israel. If this is the deal, it is a disaster. If one listens to President Trump, the deal is probably something different."

Kuperwasser defined a "good deal" as one in which Iran gives up all components of its nuclear program, grants access to enriched uranium and establishes a robust monitoring system capable of reaching anywhere at any time, including military facilities likely being used for atomic purposes. He added that such an agreement should also prohibit production of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

"Lebanon’s fate is a matter to be discussed between Washington, Jerusalem, and Beirut," Kuperwasser said. "Iran is not a party to those talks and should not be according to the Lebanese government. If Lebanon is to be part of a deal with Iran, it means Tehran has a say in Lebanese matters."

Kuperwasser noted that Israel has lived under the shadow of Iran’s nuclear program since 1998, while noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is uniquely positioned to assess the issue given his decades of involvement. He said it remains unclear whether Netanyahu is satisfied with the outcome or what his final assessment will be.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN'S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, now leader of the opposition, referred Fox News Digital to his comments on X.

"The emerging agreement achieves none of Israel’s war goals. The regime survives, the missile program exists, and Iran can rebuild its nuclear program. This is a complete failure by Netanyahu, and in the process, he is turning us into a client state that takes orders about its national security," he wrote.

On March 19, Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined three war objectives for the U.S.-Israel joint operation against Iran: "One, removing the nuclear threat. Second, removing the ballistic missile threat and removing both of these threats before they're buried deep underground and become immune from aerial attack. And third, this means creating the conditions for the Iranian people to grasp their freedom, to control their destiny," the premier stated at the time.

Dr Meir Javedanfar, Iran lecturer at Reichman University, told Fox News Digital that Israel’s most immediate concern regarding the deal is the clause dealing with Lebanon.

"There is genuine concern that this could tie Israel’s hands," he said. "An additional concern is that Hezbollah could use this clause to regroup and strengthen its armed forces and positions along the border with Israel."

LETHAL ELITE 'BLACK-CLAD' KILL SQUAD GUARDS IRAN'S NEW SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI

Javedanfar said it is too early to assess whether the deal would leave Israel in a significantly stronger position than the 2015 Obama-era nuclear agreement, citing the fate of Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium and its atomic infrastructure.

"Will Iran be allowed to continue enriching uranium on its soil? If yes, at what percentage? And how will the international community oversee Iran’s nuclear program? What kind of inspection program will they have? How intrusive will they be?" he added.

Israel’s controversial National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday insisted that the MOU does not bind the Jewish state. "Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation," he tweeted, adding that Jerusalem’s duty is to its citizens, its soldiers and the Jewish people."

He stated, "My position is clear: we are not partners to this agreement that does not ensure our security, and it does not bind us in any way," he said, adding that while Israelis "love" the United States and "are grateful" to Trump, "the State of Israel is not a banana republic."

On Friday, Netanyahu's office stated that "Even though Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump's commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran's support for its terrorist proxies in the region." 

Quoting the prime minister, the statement added that "As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel – Iran will not have nuclear weapons. President Trump and I are in full agreement on this issue. For over 30 years, I have been at the forefront of the international struggle against Iran's nuclear program. Were it not for this struggle, Iran would have long ago possessed atomic bombs to destroy Israel. Iran is working to destroy the Jewish state, and I am dedicating my life to preventing them from doing so. As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, this will not happen."

Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.



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The Islamic Republic of Iran’s state-controlled media is promoting the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and address Tehran’s illicit nuclear weapons program as its triumph over the U.S. and Israel.

The major diplomatic breakthrough, known as by its initials MOU, is slated to be sealed at a signing ceremony on June 19 in Switzerland. Iranian state-controlled TV boasted that the "U.S. is forced to sign agreement to end the war."

The State Department has classified Iran as the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism and its state-controlled media apparatus is notorious, according to Iran experts, for spreading anti-U.S. propoganda.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES PEACE DEAL WITH IRAN, DECLARES STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL REOPEN: 'LET THE OIL FLOW!'

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to the country's Tasnim News Agency, "This memorandum does not mean trusting the enemy; it has been written with active distrust. We will monitor the implementation of U.S. commitments." 

Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the nation’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, "emphasized that national cohesion and the active presence of the people serve as important capital and a primary pillar of Iran’s diplomatic authority."

Araghchi said, according to IRNA," that the true image of Iran’s power on the global stage stems not only from its military capabilities but also from national cohesion, resilience, and the active involvement of its people."

Tehran's top diplomat stated that the,"Iranian nation achieved not only tactical victories during the 12-day imposed war in June last year and the recent war, but also important strategic accomplishments whose impact can be observed in both regional and global equations."

President Trump announced some of the elements of the MOU on Sunday. He wrote on social media. "The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete." He noted that "I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"

IRAN HOLDS FUNERAL FOR TOP COMMANDERS, NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS KILLED IN ISRAELI OPERATION

There are additional components of the MOU that have not been confirmed, including the timetable for sanctions relief and the end of Iran’s enrichment of uranium for the construction of nuclear weapons.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a Sunday statement that all military operations across multiple fronts, including those in Lebanon, will cease "immediately and permanently" starting Sunday night.

Lisa Daftari, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk told Fox News Digital that, "Inside Iran, state media is selling this as a victory, not a compromise. The message on Iranian television is that a ‘strong and proud’ Islamic Republic has forced Washington to recognize its control over the Strait of Hormuz and to ease military pressure, while Tehran supposedly gives up very little in return."

Daftari, a leading expert on the Islamic Republic, added "The Islamic Republic’s very DNA is built on delay, deceit and deniability. Every agreement it has signed has been treated as a tactical pause on the way to more missiles, more proxies and more leverage, not a real change in behavior. So while it’s important to read the fine print of this new deal, it’s even more important to remember who is signing it. A system that survives by holding deadly weapons over its neighbors and by lying to its own people is not suddenly going to become a trustworthy partner."

She concluded, "The Trump administration should assume from day one that Tehran will test every loophole, hide every capability it can, and resume its nuclear program, amass its drones and missiles, fund its deadly proxies while continuing to torture the Iranian people at home."

Vice President JD Vance told Fox News' "The Big Weekend Show" Sunday that "I think it's a big moment for the United States of America. Thanks, of course, to the President's leadership and the hard work of the entire team. Three things that I think are important for the American people just to appreciate about what this deal does for all of us as Americans."

LETHAL ELITE 'BLACK-CLAD' KILL SQUAD GUARDS IRAN'S NEW SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI

He stressed that" Number one, this is the immediate opening of the straits of Hormuz and, of course, the lifting of the naval blockade that we've had on Iran along with it. The number two thing that it means is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon and not just pursue a nuclear weapon for procure or try to buy a nuclear weapon as well."

Cameron Khansarinia, the chief of staff for Reza Pahlavi, the leader of the Iranian democratic opposition and exiled former crown prince of Iran, wrote on x: "Deal or no deal, the people of Iran will not stop the fight for freedom. Iran’s future has always been for Iranians for determine. And they will. With or without help, Iranians will topple the Islamic Republic. The fight continues. Prince Reza Pahlavi will lead Iran to freedom." 

Another leading Iranian opposition group's leader, Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said in a statement that, "The Iranian Resistance, which for nearly five decades has sought freedom and peace, welcomes any understanding to end the war and the suffering of the Iranian people. In Iran, no one except the remnants of the mullahs and the Shah has wanted or wants war."

She added that "The effort to produce nuclear weapons, warmongering, and meddling in the countries of the region are part of the survival strategy of the religious fascism ruling Iran, and it will not abandon them as long as it can. War is this regime’s shield against popular uprisings, while peace and a ceasefire are, as Khomeini put it, like "poison" for it. The overthrow of the regime is the responsibility of the Iranian people and their organized Resistance. I reiterate once again that any international agreement to end the war must include an end to the execution of political prisoners and the killing of protesters."



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Sunday, June 14, 2026

Protesters on Sunday set a Tesla vehicle on fire and smashed windows at a United Nations agency in Geneva as they marched against a Group of Seven summit set to kick off across the border in France, prompting police to fire tear gas.

Around 20,000 people gathered for a march that was initially peaceful before some protesters later damaged what they described as symbols of capitalism and multilateralism, including the parked Tesla and the UN agency.

Demonstrators grabbed bricks from the ground to throw at police, as tear gas was deployed in Geneva's streets, witnesses told Reuters.

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There have been previous protests at G7 gatherings over the years, with many demonstrators using the summits to speak out against capitalism, globalization, climate change and inequality.

Demonstrators in the latest protest said they were marching against the G7 as a symbol of concentrated political and economic power.

This comes after Tesla owner Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire last week.

"To me, it's a meeting of the rich that shows once again how the rich can become even richer while the poor are left behind," protestor Pippa Saugy told Reuters.

The G7 summit, scheduled to take place from Monday to Wednesday in Évian-les-Bains, on the shore of Lake Geneva, will feature the leaders of France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S., as well as the ‌European Union.

The conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are expected to dominate the agenda. Leaders will likely attempt to avoid a clash with U.S. President Donald Trump after he announced a tentative agreement aimed at ending the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

Businesses in Geneva were boarded up and hundreds of riot police were deployed in the streets over concerns about violence.

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"This is an attempt to frighten demonstrators, to frighten people and discourage them from coming out to protest," protester Mattia Piccard told Reuters.

Another demonstrator said she wanted to raise the issue of gender inequality during the march against the G7.

"The values represented by the G7 are completely misogynistic, and they contribute to inequality," Clélia Colin told the outlet.

Reuters contributed to this report.



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Iran's decision to hold a July funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a high-stakes bet that any emerging peace deal with the United States will hold, potentially creating a "target-rich" gathering of Tehran's most isolated leaders, a counterterrorism expert warned Sunday.

The multi-day state funeral, announced by Iranian state media on June 13, is scheduled to begin in Tehran on July 4 and end with Khamenei's burial in the holy city of Mashhad on July 9, Reuters reported.

According to Dr. Omar Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, the timing serves as a deliberate message to America.

"A mass funeral is the most target-rich event this regime could stage, and now they would not risk one until they are confident it wouldn't be hit," Mohammed told Fox News Digital.

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"But it is the staging of this funeral that is the message, and the message is aimed at America as much as at Iranians."

The announcement also coincided with a major diplomatic breakthrough, coming as President Donald Trump announced that a peace deal with Tehran is expected to be signed Sunday.

"The regime could sign a deal that lets it keep its leverage, then bury its leader as the victor who won it," Mohammed said.

"Announcing the funeral Saturday as Pakistan said the final text of a deal was reached and signing is close, is their bet that the ceasefire holds into July."

Khamenei was killed on Feb. 28 during the opening salvo of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran, ending a 36-year tenure leading the Islamic Republic. He was 86.

Experts say the regime is using the four-month delay since the February strikes to completely reframe the narrative of the conflict.

"Khamenei goes into the ground as a man America murdered, so the deal becomes a tactical pause — revenge deferred, not abandoned," Mohammed observed. "The deeper logic is that you bury the leader as a victor, not a victim."

"They can now stage the funeral as the war's victory monument: the martyred Imam laid to rest as the man whose resistance forced America to terms," Mohammed added.

"The four-month delay was not only security. It was waiting for a win to bury him."

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Following three days of public ceremonies in Tehran, the procession will move to the clerical heartland of Qom on July 7 before concluding in Mashhad on July 9.

Analysts note the dates heavily leverage deep Shia religious iconography, falling directly within the holy mourning month of Muharram.

"This is also a staged passion play, not a schedule because the dates fall within Muharram, the Shia mourning month centered on Imam Hussein's martyrdom at Karbala, and the burial on July 9 is timed to the eve of another Imam's martyrdom," Mohammed said.

"The body goes into the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad — the only one of the 12 Imams buried in Iran, and the holiest site in Iranian Shiism — giving the regime a permanent martyr's shrine and mobilization site for years."

Mohammed noted that scheduling the opening ceremonies on the 250th anniversary of America's Independence Day carries deliberate geopolitical signaling.

"The regime had room to choose which Muharram days and, at a minimum, it's a message they are happy to broadcast; very possibly it's the point — while America marks 250 years, Iran opens the funeral of the leader America killed and calls it the beginning of its victory."

LETHAL ELITE 'BLACK-CLAD' KILL SQUAD GUARDS IRAN'S NEW SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI

The highly public, multi-city route presents a massive security vulnerability for Iran's new leadership.

Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has remained entirely in hiding due to targeted security threats and reported injury since the war began.

"By every tradition, the son leads the prayers and stands at the grave; it is the act that consecrates the succession," Mohammed noted.

"But Mojtaba has not appeared in public since the war began, runs the country by courier, and is a designated target — and a funeral is a pre-announced time and place. For a man whose every confirmed sighting is a coordinate, July 9 in Mashhad is the most dangerous appointment of his rule."

"The regime is boxed: It needs the son at the father's grave to crown the dynasty, but putting him there exposes him as never before," Mohammed concluded.

"If he appears, it's his first sighting and a gamble; if he doesn't, the dynasty is consecrated by an absence."



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A regional analyst says fears that President Donald Trump could "flip" on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid a critical push for a U.S.-Iran peace agreement are growing in Jerusalem, a concern highlighted Sunday after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck Beirut for a second time.

Despite U.S. warnings that any strikes would derail a breakthrough with Tehran, the strikes came as Netanyahu prepared to convene Israel’s Security Cabinet and after Trump announced a new U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) was expected to be signed imminently.

"The strikes today in Beirut are creating issues with finalizing the deal," a diplomat involved in the talks with Tehran told Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst, adding that they were "a clear attempt by Israel to sabotage the president’s deal and drag the United States back into war."

Trump went on to condemn Israel's strikes in a post on Truth Social, also telling Axios that Netanyahu had "no f---ing judgment."

WHY TRUMP KEEPS FLIPPING ON IRAN: A PRESIDENT WHO SEES THE WORLD AS HE WANTS IT TO BE

Natan Sachs, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, noted there was "absolutely this fear in the Israeli government," calling it "a rational and healthy fear" over the pending deal.

He said a strategic chasm existed between the two allies, contrasting Netanyahu's doctrine of sustained, long-term military pressure with Trump's pursuit of immediate diplomatic victories.

"Now there is a sense in Israel that Trump may be growing weary of Netanyahu and the Israelis, and many others believe that if he got sick and tired of him, he could break norms in other directions and flip on Israel," Sachs, an Israeli foreign policy expert, told Fox News Digital.

With discussions underway through Pakistani mediation, the Israeli prime minister's office released a statement shortly after Trump announced the possible deal with Tehran on June 11.

Jerusalem "is not a party to the memorandum of understanding" between Washington and Tehran, Netanyahu said before reiterating on June 12 that Iran was "working to destroy the Jewish state." He assured Israelis he had dedicated his life to "preventing them from doing so."

On Sunday, a senior Israeli official also said Hezbollah attacks had targeted Israeli civilians for the previous three days as Israel prepared for Iranian retaliation.

NETANYAHU DECLARES ISRAEL 'WILL EXACT THE FULL PRICE' AFTER IRANIAN STRIKE HITS HOSPITAL IN ISRAEL

Trump had already criticized Netanyahu during a phone call earlier this month, reportedly calling him "crazy" over a first strike on Beirut that was complicating the administration's negotiations with Iran.

"It's not just that there seems to be a crisis — and there were clearly expletives used by the president toward the prime minister on the backdrop of a joint and large military operation," Sachs said.

"Israel and Netanyahu had first looked at Trump and saw both enormous carrots and enormous potential sticks," Sachs said of the start of Operation Epic Fury and Roaring Lion on Feb. 28.

"Trump was a huge opportunity for Netanyahu because he was willing to break the mold on anything, but Israel has made a potentially strategic, historic mistake in putting all its eggs in one basket," he added.

"Netanyahu was always prepared for the long haul," Sachs said. "And the long haul is not four months; the long haul is years. Trump likes quick wins. Once the quick win did not materialize — and it did not — now you have a whole new set of problems."

"Trump’s preference seemed far from pursuing a much broader campaign aimed at achieving the goals that Israel prefers, and he also has a much narrower conception of what a deal would be," he added.

TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS IRAN DEAL BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION

Sachs noted, however, that Trump and Netanyahu broadly shared goals on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions, eliminating Hezbollah's armed presence in Lebanon and establishing a post-Hamas future for Gaza.

But he said, "having that wish list is not the same as having a strategic goal. They haven’t both committed to them as strategic goals that dictate concerted action going forward."

Sachs also argued that tensions between Trump and Netanyahu reflect different temperaments.

"Netanyahu thinks of himself as a strategic thinker — very able, and of course, he has a very high opinion of himself — but he is completely different," he observed.

"Netanyahu is an erudite, well-educated, patient, highly suspicious and extremely pessimistic man by nature. His self-image is more, 'I have thought everything through in ways you could not, because I'm smarter than you.'

"He's very suspicious of everyone around him, and he's been surrounded by this same coterie of individuals for decades."

"In terms of personality and where they come from, their worldview is also actually very different," Sachs added.

"You can't imagine Netanyahu spending hours at night on social media. He doesn’t go on it himself, and it's hard to imagine President Trump spending hours reading books, which Netanyahu likes to portray himself as doing. I doubt he has time for it, but that is an image he projects, and I think it is partially true."

"Netanyahu also believes you live with a problem, you manage it, and you kick the can down the road. Trump is the opposite."

"The U.S. may turn away and be uninterested; Israel simply does not think it has that privilege," Sachs said.

"Netanyahu and Trump have very different time horizons, and that is partly geography and interest — and partly personality."



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