Key facts
- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf accused the US of violating a ceasefire agreement.
- Ghalibaf listed renewed attacks in southern Iran, reinstated oil sanctions, and continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon as violations.
- A fragile two-week truce between Iran and the US had entered its second day.
- Israel launched a significant bombardment campaign in Lebanon, resulting in numerous casualties.
- Israel stated its actions in Lebanon were separate from the US-Iran truce.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf has accused the United States of violating a fragile ceasefire agreement, citing a series of actions including renewed attacks in southern Iran, the reinstatement of oil sanctions, and continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Ghalibaf asserted that the era of bullying is over and Iran will not yield to such pressures.
The truce, which had entered its second day, was immediately strained as Israel launched a significant bombardment campaign across Lebanon. Lebanese Civil Defence reported that these strikes resulted in 254 deaths and 1,165 wounded, marking one of the deadliest days of the conflict. Israel, however, maintained that its actions in Lebanon were not part of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement.
Adding to the fragility, a senior US official suggested that Iran's proposed 10-point plan for negotiation differed from the conditions agreed upon by the White House to pause the war. UN rights chief Volker Turk described the scale of the killing in Lebanon as 'horrific'. Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a warning of retaliation if Israel did not cease its strikes.
Further complicating the situation, reports indicated that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed again despite the ceasefire, a development the White House deemed 'completely unacceptable'. Iran subsequently announced alternative shipping routes through the Strait, citing the risk of sea mines. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who mediated the ceasefire, urged all parties to exercise restraint and respect the truce to allow diplomatic efforts to progress.