Iran has warned it will withdraw from the fragile two-week ceasefire with the United States if Israel continues its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, exposing deep divisions over the truce’s scope just hours after it was announced. The conditional threat, reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday, came as Israeli forces launched some of their largest strikes yet on Lebanese targets, including areas of Beirut.
The report stated, “Iran is considering the possibility of withdrawing from the ceasefire agreement if the Zionist regime continues to violate it in its attack on Lebanon.” Citing an unnamed Iranian government source, Tasnim said stopping the war “on all fronts”, including Lebanon, had been part of the original ceasefire understanding.
The Tasnim report said, “The cessation of war on all fronts, including against the heroic Islamic resistance in Lebanon, was accepted by the United States in the two-week ceasefire plan, but the Zionist regime has carried out brutal attacks against Lebanon since this morning in clear violation of the ceasefire.”
The report added that Iran’s armed forces had already begun identifying potential targets in response to Israel’s ongoing operations. The official was quoted as saying, “if America cannot control its vicious dog in the region, Iran will exceptionally help it in this regard! And by force.”
The ceasefire announced today requires the US to suspend strikes on Iran and for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. Both sides have described it as a temporary de-escalation ahead of further talks in Islamabad. President Trump has agreed to Iran’s demand to impose toll on the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the money will be collected by a US-Iran joint venture.
However, Israel has made clear that the agreement applies only to direct US-Iran hostilities and does not cover its separate campaign against Hezbollah. In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel “supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran” but stressed that “the deal does not include Lebanon”.
The United States has told Israel that it is committed to achieving these goals, shares by the US, Israel and Israel's regional allies, in the upcoming negotiations.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 8, 2026
The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon.
The Israeli PM added that “Israel also supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran’s Arab neighbours and the world.”
Israeli officials have similarly indicated that the truce has no bearing on operations against Hamas in Gaza, which continue independently.
The discrepancy has raised immediate concerns about the truce’s durability. While Iran has framed the agreement as a victory, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have intensified, with reports of significant casualties and damage in Beirut and southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has urged residents not to return to the south until a formal ceasefire is in place.
