Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian strongly condemned Israel’s renewed airstrikes on Lebanon, warning that the attacks threaten to nullify the fragile ceasefire brokered in recent diplomacy. “Continued Israeli aggression renders negotiations meaningless,” Pezeshkian said, emphasising that Iran would not abandon the Lebanese people or its allies in the region.
The warning comes as Israel carried out its heaviest bombardment of Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah escalated over a month ago, killing more than 250 people on Wednesday and wounding over 1,000. The strikes targeted southern suburbs of Beirut, weapons depots, and key crossings used by Hezbollah, according to Israeli military statements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue operations “wherever necessary,” framing the attacks as precision strikes against Hezbollah while disregarding the inclusion of Lebanon in the truce, a point disputed by Iran and Pakistan, which mediated the original ceasefire. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, affirmed that the ceasefire explicitly covers Lebanon and the broader “axis of resistance.”
The Lebanese government, facing mounting civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, instructed security forces to monopolise weapons in Beirut and curb Hezbollah’s military activities. Despite these measures, Hezbollah resumed limited attacks on Israeli forces Thursday morning, highlighting the difficulty of enforcing a ceasefire under external bombardment.
Iranian officials warned that further attacks would carry “explicit costs” and provoke strong responses, while Tehran’s negotiators prepared to travel to Pakistan for peace talks with a U.S. delegation. Meanwhile, disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has sent global oil prices soaring, exacerbating the economic stakes of continued Israeli aggression.