Soon after a two-week ceasefire was announced between US-Israel and Iran, the Islamic Republic was on the verge of responding to a ceasefire violation on Thursday night but held back after negotiator Pakistan intervened, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
During an interview with Fars news agency, Khatibzadeh said that the United States must stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon which has jeopardised the ceasefire deal and added that any regional peace must include Lebanon and called the coming hours “critical”.
The minister confirmed that Iran’s delegation will take part in the upcoming peace talks in Islamabad which is scheduled for Saturday. US President Donald Trump is sending his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff for the talks.
Earlier, the Iranian deputy foreign minister accused Israel of launching a “surprise” attack on Lebanon and said that it constitutes “grave violation” of the ceasefire.
“It was a sort of genocide, you know, by the regime of Israel in Lebanon, just immediately after the ceasefire was accepted,” Khatibzadeh told BBC’s Today programme. He added that Washington needs to “choose between war and ceasefire,” adding that they can’t have both at the same given point of time.
Smoke rises following several Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo)
Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed over 200 people and wounded more than 1,000 on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said. The Israeli military continued its strikes on Thursday and announced that it had killed an aide and nephew of Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem, Ali Yusuf Harshi, in the strikes.
Earlier, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called up Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting for Islamabad’s support to immediately halt Israeli attacks on Lebanon, the Pakistan PMO said, Al Jazeera reported.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Iran-backed militia Hezbollah group is not part of the ceasefire deal signed with Iran.
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Smoke rises following several Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo)