Iran Holds US Directly Responsible for Israeli Strikes on Lebanon as Israel Fumes Over Ceasefire Deal
Iran's foreign ministry accused the US of bearing direct responsibility for Israeli strikes on Lebanon, saying Washington promised Lebanon would be covered by the ceasefire. Israel, meanwhile, fumed over being excluded from the deal's negotiations.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Two fault lines cracked open on Wednesday as Lebanon's death toll climbed toward 1,500: Iran accused the United States of bearing direct responsibility for Israeli strikes on Lebanon, and Israel — according to the Wall Street Journal — was seething over a ceasefire deal it had no hand in shaping.
On Wednesday, Ismail Baghaei, spokesman of Iran's foreign ministry, condemned Israel's strikes across Lebanon as "a heinous and shameful crime," warning that they demand a serious response as casualties continue to mount. He described the ongoing Israeli military operations against Lebanon as genocide against the Lebanese people and the destruction of their homes and livelihoods.
Baghaei made a pointed disclosure: the United States had promised that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran would also cover Lebanon. He held America directly responsible for what is unfolding, stating that Washington bears responsibility because it supports Israel. Pakistan's prime minister, he noted, had also said that ending the war in Lebanon is an essential part of the Iran-US ceasefire understanding — and that Israel's latest strikes constitute a clear violation of that understanding.
Israel learned of the deal at the last minute
While Iran pressed Washington over Lebanon, Israel's anger was directed at the ceasefire itself. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Israeli government expressed strong displeasure and fury over the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran, because Tel Aviv had no participation in those negotiations whatsoever. According to the newspaper's sources, Israel was only informed of the contents of the agreement in the final moments before its formal announcement — through a phone call between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sources indicated that the terms of the agreement, particularly any provisions that might touch on Lebanon, are not to Israel's liking, and this has generated significant concern among Tel Aviv's decision-makers.
The ceasefire was announced by Trump late Tuesday night, barely two hours before the expiry of the deadline he had set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — or face the complete destruction of its civilization.