Hours before signing a long-negotiated peace deal, the Middle East is locked in dangerous escalation. On Sunday, Hezbollah launched drones at northern Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Beirut that killed a Hezbollah commander. Iran is now threatening to retaliate, with its chief negotiator warning that the Israeli strike could scuttle the agreement. According to Axios, President Trump criticized Israel's response as poorly timed and called for all sides to stand down. Defense Secretary Hegseth disagreed, saying he expects the deal to hold. But Iran's military says the attack will not go unanswered, and Israel is preparing for incoming fire. The timing couldn't be worse — negotiators racing against a clock ticking toward war.

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