As Israel expands its ground offensive and asks Washington for permission to launch massive strikes on Hezbollah positions in Beirut, the most recent US attempt to achieve a truce in Lebanon has faltered.
The wider peace with Iran is seriously threatened by the breakdown of the US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon and Israel's subsequent attacks. Due to Tehran's support for Hezbollah, ongoing Israeli military operations have led to retaliatory actions that actively undermine the precarious diplomatic accords.
As part of a larger attempt to reduce tensions, Washington has been discouraging Tel Aviv from attacking Beirut for the past few weeks, according to sources cited by Axios on Monday. A US official has now added, "The US does not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians by a terrorist organisation."
The administration of President Donald Trump has been working to de-escalate the situation in Lebanon in part because it wants to make a deal with Iran. Tehran placed an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah as one of the requirements in the proposed memorandum of understanding.
"Our region is facing continuous warmongering by the Zionist regime. This is not just about today or yesterday. Over the past 80 years, the Zionist regime, with US support, has waged a permanent and endless war against the countries of the region," said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, on Monday during his weekly press conference.
According to a US official, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has discussed a new ceasefire idea with both Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the past 48 hours. Furthermore, a Lebanese official verified that Rubio brought up the idea with Aoun.
However, a fresh spate of attacks on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut was authorised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, indicating a further escalation of a confrontation that has hindered efforts to mediate a settlement between the United States and Iran.
ALSO READ: 'Every Choice Has A Price': Iran Warns US Amid Naval Blockade, 'War-Crimes' Escalation In Lebanon
Following Hezbollah's "repeated violations" of a ceasefire and "attacks against our cities and citizens," Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the Israeli military to strike "terrorist targets" in the Dahiyeh neighbourhood of southern Beirut, NBC News quoted Netanyahu's office as saying.
Since Hezbollah started firing on Israel in support of Iran during a US-Israeli attack on March 2, more than 3,370 people have died in Lebanon as a result of Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese authorities.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.