Trump says Lebanon not part of US-Iran ceasefire, but ‘will get taken care of’ - Report
The comments come after Israel continued its strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, even a day after the United States and Iran agreed to a two‑week ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump clarified on Wednesday (April 8) that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement the United States reached with Iran, citing the presence of Hezbollah as the primary reason.
Trump, in an interview with PBS News, explained that the ceasefire with Iran applies specifically to the US-Iran conflict.
When asked about Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, the President described the situation as “a separate skirmish,” emphasizing that the US agreement with Iran does not extend to Lebanon’s conflict with Hezbollah.
“That’s a separate skirmish,” Trump said, according to PBS NewsHour correspondent Liz Landers, who posted the remarks on X (formerly Twitter).
The comments come a day after the US and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire in the wake of escalating tensions in the Middle East. The agreement, which was announced on Tuesday (April 7), aimed to temporarily halt hostilities and allow diplomatic efforts to take precedence.
Ceasefire tensions rise
While both the US and Iran claimed victory after the ceasefire agreement, Israel intensified its operations in Lebanon, striking multiple commercial and residential areas in Beirut without warning.
Lebanon’s health authorities reported at least 112 deaths and hundreds wounded in what has become one of the deadliest days in the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
Iran signals retaliation
Iranian officials tied the attacks on Lebanon to their own security interests.
“Aggression towards Lebanon is aggression towards Iran,” said Gen. Seyed Majid Mousavi, aerospace commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, in a post on X. He added that Iranian forces were preparing a “heavy response,” though he did not provide further details.
Iran also accused the United States of violating three clauses of its ceasefire framework, citing continued hostilities and perceived infringements on Iran’s security rights.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that ending the war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire agreement:
“The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments,” he wrote on X.
Despite Iranian claims, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the ceasefire agreement with Iran does not extend to Lebanon. Netanyahu stressed that Israel would continue targeting Hezbollah.