Israel Kills Over 300 in Lebanon as US-Iran Ceasefire Dispute Fuels Violence
Key Takeaways
- Israeli strikes in Lebanon threaten a fragile US-Iran ceasefire.
- Pakistan-hosted talks aim to extend the two-week ceasefire amid US-Iran negotiations.
- Hormuz disruption and blocked strait drive energy-market volatility amid regional tensions.
Ceasefire Fragility
Lebanon remained engulfed in turmoil as the two-week US-Iran ceasefire frayed under conflicting interpretations and continued violence.
“en EnglishUnited States Deutsch English Español Français Italiano العربية All languages Afrikaans azərbaycan bosanski català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch eesti EnglishUnited Kingdom EspañolEspaña EspañolLatinoamérica euskara Filipino FrançaisCanada FrançaisFrance Gaeilge galego Hrvatski Indonesia isiZulu íslenska Italiano Kiswahili latviešu lietuvių magyar Melayu Nederlands norsk o‘zbek polski PortuguêsBrasil PortuguêsPortugal română shqip Slovenčina slovenščina srpski (latinica) Suomi Svenska Tiếng Việt Türkçe Ελληνικά беларуская български кыргызча қазақ тілі македонски монгол Русский српски Українська ქართული հայերեն עברית اردو العربية فارسی አማርኛ नेपाली मराठी हिन्दी অসমীয়া বাংলা ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ગુજરાતી ଓଡ଼ିଆ தமிழ் తెలుగు ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം සිංහල ไทย ລາວ မြန်မာ ខ្មែរ 한국어 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 繁體中文香港 Sign in Sign in”
The core dispute centered on whether the ceasefire covered Lebanon and Hezbollah.
Iran insisted the deal included Lebanon while the US and Israel said it did not.
Simultaneous Israeli strikes killed at least 303 people in Lebanon on Wednesday, the deadliest day since the war began.
Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel in response.
Netanyahu had approved direct talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, but the Lebanese government had yet to respond.
Around 1.2 million Lebanese were displaced and food supplies were running low in southern Lebanon.
Diplomatic Maneuvers
Vice President JD Vance was set to lead the US delegation in Pakistan for talks with Iran.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf laid out preconditions that a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.

Trump warned Iran was doing a very poor job of opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Netanyahu had approved direct talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, but the Lebanese government had yet to respond.
A Hezbollah lawmaker said the group rejected any direct talks before a ceasefire.
Qalibaf wrote on X that two measures mutually agreed upon have yet to be implemented.
Strait of Hormuz Blockade
The Strait of Hormuz remained a critical pressure point.
“Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's former representative to the UN, thinks the talks between Iran and the US will "absolutely" happen”
Iran maintained effective control over the waterway despite the ceasefire.
Only a handful of ships have transited the waterway since the agreement.
Iran's military signaled it would maintain control of the passageway.
Intertanko marine director said the strait was under the de-facto rule of the Iranian military.
The blockade exacerbated global energy market volatility.
Regional Fallout
Kuwait's National Guard reported a drone attack causing significant damage.
Saudi Arabia said recent attacks damaged a key pipeline.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching attacks on Persian Gulf states.
Amnesty International warned civilians in southern Lebanon were unable to access basic necessities.
Israel's assault on Lebanon has killed more than 1,800 people since March 4.
More on Lebanon

US Sends Vance to Pakistan for Peace Talks as Israel Strikes Lebanon
23 sources compared

Israel Kills Over 300 in Intense Airstrikes on Beirut Amid Global Pressure
22 sources compared

Hezbollah's Naim Qassem Vows Resistance Until Last Breath Amid Israeli Strikes
12 sources compared

Iran Demands Lebanon Ceasefire And Asset Release Before US Talks Amid Ongoing Strikes
38 sources compared