Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon (File photo)
The US-Iran peace deal already seems to be under strain as Israel and Hezbollah exchanged strikes in southern Lebanon, despite Tehran’s insistence that Lebanon is part of the broader framework to end regional hostilities.The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched multiple rocket attacks, as well as anti-tank missiles and mortar rounds, at Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon. No injuries were reported. In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it carried out a series of precision airstrikes against Hezbollah operatives and militants who were deemed an immediate threat to its forces.”Shortly ago, the Air Force intercepted several rockets launched by the terrorist organization Hezbollah toward the area where IDF forces operate in southern Lebanon. In accordance with policy, no alerts were activated. Additionally, in four separate incidents throughout the day, IDF forces identified several terrorists moving in vehicles and approaching IDF forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat to them. Immediately after identification, the Air Force, guided by the forces, struck all the threats in a targeted manner. The IDF will continue to operate to remove immediate threats,” IDF said in a post on X. US president Donald and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu have had disagreements over the issue as Monday deal came under threat after Israel attacked Lebanon. “Many times we see eye to eye, and there are also cases in which we see less eye to eye. I am responsible for Israel’s security interests. I stand up for them,” Israeli PM said regarding the deal.The exchanges come amid conflicting interpretations of the US-Iran agreement. Iran has maintained that Lebanon remains an integral part of the understanding aimed at ending the wider regional conflict. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would closely monitor developments and use all available means to ensure that other parties uphold their commitments.His remarks stand in contrast to Israel’s position that Lebanon is not covered by the recently announced US-Iran peace deal, highlighting a key point of contention that could test the agreement’s durability even before it takes full effect.
