WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Lebanon is not part of the recently announced ceasefire with Iran, contradicting earlier statements by Pakistan’s prime minister and raising new concerns about continued Israeli attacks in the region.
In remarks reported by BBC, Trump denied that the agreement covers Lebanon. He linked the exclusion to Hezbollah, describing the situation there as a “separate conflict that would be addressed independently.”
“A few minutes after the Pentagon briefing wrapped, I spoke with President Trump briefly to ask about the latest with Iran,” said Liz Landers. She asked Trump about ongoing strikes in Lebanon and whether they were part of the deal.
“Yeah, they were not included in the deal,” Trump claimed.
When pressed on why Lebanon was excluded, Trump said, “Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the deal. That’ll get taken care of too. It’s alright.”
Landers also asked whether Washington was comfortable with Israel continuing its military operations in Lebanon. Trump responded, “It’s part of the deal. Everyone knows that. That’s a separate skirmish.”
His comments mark the first US violation of the agreement less than a day of announcing it.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced what he described as a comprehensive ceasefire agreement between the United States, Iran, and their allies.
Sharif said the deal would take effect immediately and apply “everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere.” He credited Islamabad’s mediation efforts for helping secure the agreement after weeks of escalating tensions that the US and Israel started on February 28.
In a public statement, Sharif welcomed the move as a step toward stability. He also invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 for further talks aimed at reaching a final settlement.
His announcement created expectations that hostilities would stop across the region, including in Lebanon. Trump’s remarks, however, directly contradict that claim.
An Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Tehran plans to respond to the Israeli violations in Lebanon. The official said Israel had breached the ceasefire terms by continuing its attacks.
The same source stressed that the agreement with Washington should apply to the entire region without exceptions. “Any violation or exclusion is unacceptable,” the official said.
Al Jazeera correspondent Noureddine Degheur reported that Iran is on high alert and deeply angered by the continued strikes on Lebanese territory.
According to the report, Iranian officials view Israel’s actions as a direct challenge to the ceasefire and have signaled that a response is being prepared.
The developments come amid growing reports of frustration in Israel, where officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have expressed anger over being excluded from the ceasefire negotiations. Israeli leaders said they do not consider Lebanon part of the agreement, despite US President Donald Trump previously announcing a deal that explicitly included Lebanon. Following Trump’s announcement, several Israeli officials issued sharp criticism, attacking the terms of the agreement and signaling clear opposition to its scope.
On the ground, Israel confirmed that its military operations in Lebanon are ongoing. The continued strikes have killed at least 89 Lebanese people on Wednesday alone. — QNN
