Ceasefire strains as Lebanon fighting continues

Iranian authorities accused Israel of breaching a ceasefire with attacks on Lebanon and warned of intervention, prompting US President Donald Trump to say Israel abandoned plans for a military assault on Beirut. Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) reported a strike on a US air base it said was used to launch an attack on a telecommunications tower in southern Iran and said it coordinated transit of 15 additional vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Senior Iranian officials issued stern warnings: Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said a US naval blockade of Iranian ports and Israel’s actions in Lebanon would carry consequences for Washington and Tel Aviv. Tehran reiterated that halting Israeli strikes on Lebanon is a condition for any broader agreement to end the conflict and held the United States responsible for ceasefire breaches. Iranian spokesmen criticized international reactions as selective and reaffirmed control over maritime traffic through Hormuz.

U.S. President Trump also claimed Hezbollah, via intermediaries, pledged not to attack Israel; Western officials noted this communication was unconventional. Markets showed elevated uncertainty, with oil prices holding broadly steady after prior gains amid ceasefire doubts.

On the ground in Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes in southern areas were reported to have killed at least a dozen people and wounded civilians, including medics, while displacement surged in Beirut’s southern suburbs amid threats of further bombardment. Hezbollah fighters said they struck multiple Israeli military targets, intercepted and downed two Hermes 450 drones near the border, and destroyed an Iron Dome launcher inside occupied territory in retaliation for perceived ceasefire violations.

A partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was announced by Lebanese authorities, calling for Israel to halt strikes on Beirut and Hezbollah-controlled suburbs while Hezbollah would suspend attacks on Israel; Lebanon’s embassy in Washington cautioned the deal would not end the broader conflict. Despite the agreement, hostilities continued into the evening with reports of intercepted projectiles over northern Israel and ongoing military operations, as Israeli forces said they would press deeper into southern Lebanon even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly agreed to pull back troops preparing to assault Beirut.