DID Press: Despite a ceasefire agreement between Iran and United States—which, according to a Pakistani mediator, also includes Lebanon—repeated large-scale strikes by Israel across Lebanese territory have placed the agreement under serious strain. Regional and international officials have warned that these violations pose a direct threat to the region’s fragile stability.
Recent Israeli attacks on multiple locations in Lebanon—including the southern suburbs of Beirut, as well as the cities of Sidon, Baalbek, and Nabatieh—have triggered widespread regional and international condemnation and intensified concerns about the potential collapse of the Iran–U.S. ceasefire. According to official reports from Lebanon’s Civil Defense organization, the strikes have killed at least 254 people and injured more than 1,165 others.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran, described the attacks as a “heinous and shameful crime,” stressing that under the ceasefire understanding between Iran and the United States—brokered through Pakistan—Lebanon was explicitly included within the framework of the agreement. He stated that Israel’s strikes therefore constitute a clear violation of the arrangement.
In the same context, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh confirmed in an interview with CNN that the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was formally referenced in the ceasefire text, leaving no ambiguity about Lebanon’s inclusion in the agreement.
International leaders have also voiced concern over the consequences of the escalation. Emmanuel Macron stated that establishing and maintaining a ceasefire in Lebanon is a necessary condition for ensuring the credibility and durability of the broader ceasefire among Iran, the United States, and Israel. The United Nations likewise described Israel’s attacks as a “serious threat to the ceasefire.”
In response to the strikes, Hezbollah announced that it had targeted Israeli positions in retaliation for what it called a violation of the agreement. The group asserted that attacks on civilian areas constitute war crimes and pledged that resistance operations would continue.
At the same time, regional and international analysts have warned about the broader implications of the situation. John Mearsheimer stated that the U.S. government now faces a position in which it has “no viable path to further escalation with Iran” and must demonstrate whether it can uphold its commitments under the ceasefire framework. Mohamed ElBaradei also emphasized that restraining Israeli actions remains one of the fundamental conditions for achieving lasting peace in the region.
Despite the formal declaration of a ceasefire, ongoing military developments in Lebanon and reciprocal responses on the ground indicate that the agreement remains highly fragile, and continued Israeli strikes could once again push the region into a renewed cycle of large-scale conflict and instability.