Iran on Wednesday accused the United States of undermining a Pakistan-brokered, conditional two-week ceasefire after Israeli strikes continued across Lebanon, warning the continuation could collapse fragile negotiations to halt a monthlong conflict.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf identified three alleged violations of Tehran’s 10-point ceasefire conditions: ongoing Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, what Iran described as a drone incursion into Iranian airspace after the truce took effect, and U.S. demands that would require Iran to abandon its enrichment capabilities. Iran’s foreign ministry and other officials said they might withdraw from the arrangement if Israeli operations persist.
Pakistan has offered to host direct U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad to convert the temporary pause into a lasting settlement. An Iranian embassy post briefly said a delegation would arrive Thursday night to negotiate based on Iran’s 10 points before it was deleted; embassy staff later called the message premature. The U.S. confirmed Vice President J.D. Vance will lead the American team in Islamabad this weekend, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner reported to be part of the delegation.
A core disagreement centers on whether the ceasefire extends to Lebanon. Iran and Pakistan say Tehran’s 10-point plan calls for halting hostilities “on all fronts, including Lebanon.” The United States and Israeli officials have repeatedly maintained the agreement does not cover Israel’s separate campaign against Hezbollah. In practice, Israel continued strikes across Lebanon, including a concentrated barrage the Israel Defense Forces said hit roughly 100 Hezbollah targets in 10 minutes. Lebanon’s health ministry reported heavy casualties during the wave of strikes, with at least 182 killed and hundreds wounded in a single day — the deadliest since fighting intensified.
Hezbollah responded by firing rockets into northern Israel and said it struck the town of Manara early Thursday, vowing to continue attacks until, in its words, Israeli-American aggression ceases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would press on with operations against Hezbollah and insisted the Iran ceasefire did not restrict its campaign.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would honor the ceasefire while remaining “with fingers on the trigger.” The IRGC reported downing an advanced Hermes 900 drone over Fars province and warned that any U.S. or Israeli overflight would amount to a ceasefire breach. Iranian outlets reported Tehran might exit the truce if strikes on Lebanon continued.
Maritime issues were central to the agreement. The U.S. tied the deal to Iran’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced alternate sea routes to avoid reported mines and told vessels they must still request permission to transit the strait. Shipping monitors recorded a gradual resumption of traffic after the ceasefire, with a handful of ships moving early Wednesday, though hundreds of tankers and cargo vessels remained idle in the region. Iran earlier warned it had placed mines in the strait and suggested it could levy fees for transits. Several countries, including Japan and South Korea, took steps to safeguard their shipping.
Markets reacted swiftly to the truce: oil prices fell sharply below $100 a barrel and global equities rallied as traders priced in a reduced risk to energy supplies. International agencies — the IMF, World Bank and the U.N. food agency — cautioned that transport disruptions and higher energy and fertilizer costs from the conflict had already worsened global food insecurity.
Diplomatic responses were immediate. The U.N. secretary-general warned Israeli operations in Lebanon “pose a grave risk” to the ceasefire and called for an immediate halt to hostilities. European leaders welcomed the pause and urged quick progress toward a substantive agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and regional threats. Pakistan’s prime minister urged restraint to enable diplomacy to proceed.
In Washington, the White House said U.S. forces and assets in the region would remain in place during negotiations. President Trump posted that U.S. forces and equipment would stay “in, and around, Iran” until any final agreement is fully complied with and warned of potentially renewed, larger strikes if terms are not met. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials described the pause as a tactical opening and stressed the U.S. would act if Iran failed to meet American demands; Hegseth also suggested Iran had sought a ceasefire. Vice President Vance called the truce “fragile” and accused some Iranian figures of misrepresenting the deal.
In Congress, Democrats signaled moves to reassert war powers. House Democrats said they would advance a war powers resolution to limit the president’s authority to strike Iran further, and Senate Democrats planned to force a vote aimed at curbing additional hostilities and requiring congressional approval for future military actions.
Regional governments expressed a mixture of concern and demands. The United Arab Emirates urged Iran to pay for damage from attacks on Gulf neighbors and sought assurances the ceasefire would secure safe passage through the strait. Gulf states reported intercepting missiles and drones in the hours after the announcement; the UAE and Kuwait reported defensive actions, and Iranian state media said explosions were heard near Gulf islands, including by a refinery on Lavan Island.
The humanitarian toll continued to mount. Lebanon’s presidency condemned what it called “barbaric attacks,” and Lebanese officials insisted no outside power could negotiate on Lebanon’s behalf. The combination of Israeli strikes and Hezbollah’s retaliatory fire increased casualties and displacement, complicating relief efforts and diplomacy.
As Islamabad prepares to host talks, security has been tightened around the capital, with parts of the city sealed and extra police deployed. The timing of delegates’ arrivals and the precise negotiating agenda remained fluid as officials dispute what the ceasefire covers and who is bound by it. Observers warned the deal remains precarious: both sides preserved the right to resume military operations if their conditions are not met, and ongoing incidents on the ground — particularly in Lebanon — threaten to unravel a tenuous diplomatic opening.