Calls have been made for Lebanon’s inclusion in the US-Iran ceasefire. This comes amid Israel’s continued attacks on the country.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that his government “firmly believes” that the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran “has to apply to Lebanon as well.”
Speaking to reporters in Brisbane, Albanese said that the truce was “an important step forward” but that it was also “a fragile peace, [and] we want it to lead to an agreement.”
“I know that many Australians are concerned about the events that are occurring in Lebanon. This is a matter of not just the impact there, but the impact that it’s having right around the world.”
Donald Trump
Also, British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper said that the US-Iran ceasefire must include Lebanon, where Israel has continued deadly attacks.
Cooper added that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz must be toll-free, pushing back against reports that Iran plans to charge transit fees for passage.
French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot iterated President Emmanuel Macron’s call for the US-Iran ceasefire to include Lebanon.
Barrot said that France condemns Israel’s latest massive strikes on Lebanon, which should be covered by the ceasefire agreement.
Lebanon declared a day of mourning after a wave of Israeli attacks killed at least 254 people and injured more than 1,165 in a single day on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement condemning “massive strikes by Israel across Lebanon on [Wednesday] that resulted in hundreds of civilians being killed and injured, including children.”
His spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement that the Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian lives and “is deeply alarmed by the mounting toll on civilians.”
Guterres said that the “ongoing military activity in Lebanon” poses a “grave risk” to the ceasefire between the US and Iran, renewing his calls for “all parties to immediately cease hostilities.” “There is no military solution to the conflict,” the statement added.
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Lebanon was not part of the US-Iran truce. US President Donald Trump said Lebanon was “separate” and not part of the agreement.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who, along with the country’s army chief, mediated the ceasefire, had, however, said that the deal covered a pause in fighting in Lebanon. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi quoted Sharif in insisting that the “terms are clear”, warning that Washington must choose between a ceasefire or “continued war via Israel.” He added that “it cannot have both.”
The Israeli military said that its forces have “expanded” ground operations into additional areas of southern Lebanon over the past week, establishing operational control over the region. The military said that Israeli troops have killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters and seized a range of weapons, including firearms, magazines and explosives.
“Dumb” To Jeopardize US-Iran Ceasefire Over Attacks On Lebanon
Meanwhile, US Vice President, JD Vance warned Iran that it would be “dumb” to jeopardise its ceasefire with Washington over Israel’s attacks in Lebanon. Although Pakistan, which mediated the truce, said that explicitly that Lebanon is included in the two-week ceasefire, Vance told reporters as he left Hungary on Wednesday that the US did not agree that Israel would stop attacking the country.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart – in a conflict where they were getting hammered – over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice. We think that would be dumb, but that’s their choice.”
JD Vance
Vance dismissed the conflicting positions as a “misunderstanding.” “There’s a lot of bad faith negotiation and a lot of bad faith propaganda going on,” he said.
“I think this comes from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t.”
JD Vance
Nonetheless, Vance suggested that Israel had agreed to show restraint in Lebanon. He said that the Israelis have committed “to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon, because they want to make sure” that the US-Iran negotiations are successful.
Hezbollah is facing mounting pressure from rivals inside Lebanon over accusations that it dragged the country to war as part of its support for Iran. Iranian officials, meanwhile, have said they will not abandon Hezbollah.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened on Wednesday that fighting would resume if Israel does not observe the ceasefire in Lebanon. “If the aggressions against dear Lebanon are not stopped immediately, we will do our duty and give a regretful response to the evil aggressors in the region,” it said.
READ ALSO: PIAC Urges Gov’t to Develop Framework to Improve Petroleum Producing Fields
