Fragile US-Iran ceasefire wobbles as Israel bombs Lebanon, Hormuz tensions rise
Deadliest day in Lebanon sees 182 killed as strikes intensify despite ceasefire announcement and conflicting interpretations emerge
Smoke rises following several Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday. (Photo:PTI)
Dubai, Apr 9: A tentative ceasefire in the Iran war staggered Thursday under the weight of Israel's intense bombardment of Lebanon, Tehran's continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty over whether negotiators can find common ground on a range of other differences.
Hours after the ceasefire was announced, amid disagreement over whether it included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel pounded Lebanon’s capital Beirut with airstrikes, resulting in the deadliest day in the country since the war began on February 28.
At least 182 people were killed in Lebanon on Wednesday when Israel intensified its attacks on the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, which joined the war in support of Tehran.
Iran and the US, which both declared victory in the wake of the ceasefire announcement, appeared to try to pressure each other.
Semiofficial news agencies in Iran suggested forces have mined the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for the world's oil whose closure has proved Tehran's greatest strategic advantage in the conflict.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, warned that US forces would hit Iran even harder than before if it did not fulfil the agreement.
But what that agreement is remains in deep dispute. Beyond whether Lebanon is included, there are questions over what will happen to Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, how and when normal traffic will resume through the strait, and what happens to Iran's ability to launch missile attacks in the future.
The chief of Iran's nuclear agency said protecting Tehran's right to enrich uranium is "necessary" for any ceasefire talks with the United States.
Mohammad Eslami, who leads the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, made the remarks on Thursday in Tehran during commemorations for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"It is a part of the necessary (things) that nobody speaks about," Eslami said, referring to the US refusal to acknowledge enrichment as one part of Iran's 10-point plan for a permanent ceasefire.
The US and Iran are due to meet in Pakistan for talks this weekend. The White House has said that Vice President JD Vance would lead the US delegation for talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the war, which are set to start Saturday.
AP