The US president said the Lebanon war was a “separate skirmish” as Israel killed dozens of people across the US after a regional ceasefire.
President Donald Trump has insisted that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, contradicting claims from Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire.
On Wednesday, President Trump said Israel’s war on Hezbollah was a “separate skirmish” after Israel launched a major attack on Lebanon, killing hundreds in the populated area.
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“Because of Hezbollah, they were not included in the deal,” Trump told public broadcaster PBS. “That will work out somehow. It’s okay.”
Excluding Lebanon from the ceasefire agreement risks jeopardizing the region-wide ceasefire. The state-run Iranian news agency reported that the Iranian government will take serious measures to counter Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Fars news agency reported that “oil tankers have been stopped from passing through the Strait of Hormuz” following the Israeli attack.
However, Iranian authorities have not confirmed this report. It is also unclear whether the suspension will be temporary or will continue for a long time.
Tasnim news agency also quoted Iranian sources as saying that Iran would withdraw from the deal if Israel continued to violate the ceasefire by attacking Lebanon.
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera Arabic that Tehran’s government would “punish Israel for the crimes committed in Lebanon.”
The official stressed that the ceasefire includes the entire region. “Israel is known for breaking its promises and will be stopped only by a bullet,” the official said.
However, in the hours after Israel’s attack on Lebanon, Iran did not fire any missiles or drones at Israel.
Late Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two-week ceasefire covered the entire region, with specific reference to Lebanon.
“With the utmost humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, together with its allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including in Lebanon and the rest of the world, with immediate effect,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X.
Israel’s Channel 12 also reported that Iran insisted that Lebanon be included in the ceasefire.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to assert that attacks on Lebanon would continue.
Hours after his remarks, Israel launched one of the heaviest attacks in the history of the Lebanese conflict, bombing homes, mosques, medical centers, vehicles and cemeteries across the country.
The attack has further exacerbated Lebanon’s humanitarian and displacement crisis, with more than 1.2 million people forced to flee their homes.
At least 20 people were killed in a strike targeting a funeral in the Bekaa Valley town of Schmester.
Several air attacks were also reported in central Beirut and the coastal cities of Sidon and Tire.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the international community to intervene and “put an end to these acts of aggression.”
Israel “continues to have a total disregard for all regional and international efforts to stop the war, not to mention the principles of international law and international humanitarian law, which it never respects,” Salam said.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah escalated after the Lebanese group launched rocket attacks on Israel in early March. Hezbollah said the attack was carried out in retaliation for violations by Israel and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The parties reached a ceasefire in November 2024, but Israel has continued to carry out daily attacks across Lebanon for more than 15 months since then.
