Kamal Ghorui
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday issued a sharp warning over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, saying Tehran remains ready to respond and that continued strikes risk derailing ongoing diplomatic efforts.“Our hands remain on the trigger,” Pezeshkian said, as he condemned Israel’s operations as a breach of the ceasefire framework and cautioned that such actions could undermine negotiations.In a post on X, Pezeshkian said, “Israel’s renewed incursion into Lebanon is a blatant violation of the initial ceasefire agreement. This is a dangerous sign of deceit and a lack of commitment to potential agreements. The continuation of these actions will render negotiations meaningless.”His remarks came after Israeli strikes in Lebanon a day earlier reportedly left more than 200 people dead. “Iran will never forsake its Lebanese brothers and sisters,” he added, reiterating Tehran’s support for Lebanon amid escalating tensions.’Netanyahu signals readiness to resume strikesEarlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that the current pause in hostilities remains fragile. In his first briefing since the ceasefire with the US and Iran, he said the truce was “not the end” and stressed that Israel retains the option to resume military action.Maintaining a hardline stance, Netanyahu said Israel has its “finger on the trigger” and is ready to “return to battle at any moment” if its objectives are not met.He also underlined that while the ceasefire was reached “in full cooperation” with Israel, it does not apply to Hezbollah. Israeli forces, he said, will “continue to strike them” despite the broader pause involving Iran.The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire aimed at creating space for negotiations, rather than bringing a formal end to the conflict. Talks are expected to begin in Islamabad under Pakistani mediation.A key condition of the truce is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington linking the continuation of the ceasefire to safe maritime transit. Iran, meanwhile, has proposed broader terms, including sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets.
