For 26 years, Beaufort Castle, a 12th-century Crusader fortress built on a hilltop 700 meters high in southern Lebanon, stood empty. The castle's name comes from Old French meaning "beautiful fortress." From its walls, you can see across southern Lebanon and into northern Israel. On May 31 and June 1, Israeli soldiers raised their flag over it again.
This single capture triggered a chain of events that has shaken the Middle East. According to reports, the seizure marks Israel's deepest ground push into Lebanon in 25 years. Israeli forces crossed the Litani River, the symbolic border in southern Lebanon, for the first time since 2006. They have advanced toward Nabatieh and Tyre.
The human cost is severe. Since fighting began on March 2, more than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon, and over a million Lebanese have been displaced. A ceasefire began in mid-April, but Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's orders, continued operations.
For Iran, the castle's fall was the breaking point. On Monday, Tehran suspended indirect talks with the United States, saying Israel violated the ceasefire. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that breaking the ceasefire on one front means breaking it on all fronts.
President Trump disagreed, insisting Lebanon was never part of the US-Iran agreement. Iranian military officials have issued warnings. U.S. Central Command intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at American forces in Kuwait. Iran also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil travels, causing oil prices to jump.