Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
The statement from Netanyahu’s office came on a day when the Israeli military warned residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs of impending strikes and urged them to evacuate.
The warning came a day after Israel launched its largest wave of strikes since the start of the war with Hezbollah, killing more than 200 people, Euronews noted .
Both Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have argued that the ceasefire agreement with Iran does not apply to Lebanon. This is disputed by Iran itself and mediators in Pakistan.
Brussels, Moscow and Ankara have also demanded that the two-week ceasefire be extended to Lebanon.
For his part, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran views Lebanon as “an integral part of the truce”, while President Massoud Pezeshkian said Israeli strikes make “meaningless” talks with the US scheduled for later in the week in Pakistan.
If the talks in Pakistan take place, the key point of contention will remain the Strait of Hormuz.
On Thursday, Iran announced alternative routes for ships passing through the strait, citing the risk of sea mines. However, it was unclear whether Tehran would in practice allow ships to pass through the strait after reports emerged on Wednesday that it was closed.
