Iran warns it will help Lebanon resist 'illegal aggression'

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday warned that Tehran stands ready to assist Lebanon in resisting Israeli "illegal aggression," declaring that any ceasefire agreement must include the Lebanese front as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered fresh airstrikes on Beirut.

Tehran's pledge

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference that the Lebanese ceasefire is "an integral part of any ceasefire and any final agreement" to end the war with the US, according to state news agency IRNA. "We have emphasized and continue to emphasize" the indivisibility of the two fronts, he said, adding that Iran will not hesitate to help Lebanon resist aggression.

Beirut escalation

Netanyahu ordered the army on Monday to carry out airstrikes in the Lebanese capital despite the ongoing ceasefire, marking a renewed escalation in the nearly two-month conflict that has already displaced thousands. The strikes targeted areas in Beirut, according to local reports, as tensions flared following weeks of relative calm under the truce.

Regional ceasefire efforts

Tensions have soared since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to retaliate against Israeli and Gulf targets and block the strategic Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement, leaving the two sides exchanging proposals in an effort to resume direct negotiations.