US President Donald Trump has clarified that Lebanon is not part of the ongoing two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, describing the Israel-Lebanon situation as a “separate skirmish.”
Speaking in a phone interview with PBS News, Trump said, “Yeah, they [Lebanon] were not included in the deal.” He attributed the exclusion to Hezbollah, adding, “Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the deal. That'll get taken care of too. It's alright.”
According to a Reuters report, Trump reiterated that Lebanon was excluded “because of Hezbollah” but would “get taken care of.”
When asked about Israel's continued strikes, he said, “That's a separate skirmish,” as noted by PBS NewsHour correspondent Liz Landers in a post on X.
Multiple media reports said that amid escalating tensions, Iran has halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route.
Iran's Fars News Agency reported that oil tanker movement has been suspended, while shipping sources told Reuters that several vessels remain stranded after being notified by the Iranian Navy that the waterway is closed.
Iran has also raised concerns over alleged ceasefire violations. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted Pakistani mediators, including Army Chief Asim Munir, to discuss what Tehran described as “Zionist regime's violations of the ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon.”
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Iranian officials, cited by Tasnim News Agency and Al Jazeera, warned that Tehran could withdraw from the ceasefire if Israeli strikes in Lebanon continue.
Pakistan, which brokered the truce, has maintained that the ceasefire should apply “everywhere,” including Lebanon, and is expected to host further US-Iran talks later this week.
However, Israel has held that Lebanon is not covered under the agreement and has continued military operations.
Lebanon's Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine told Al Jazeera that a wave of Israeli strikes killed at least 89 people and injured 722 others on Wednesday.
“The initial and non-final toll… we have more than 89 martyrs and more than 722 wounded as of 5:00 pm (1400 GMT),” he said, according to Agence France-Presse.
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