In the first Israeli reaction after US President Donald Trump announced the suspension of attacks on Iran for two weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that the proposed truce “does not include Lebanon,” stressing at the same time Tel Aviv’s support for American efforts aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons or missiles that threaten the stability of the region.
Netanyahu stated that Israel “supports Trump’s decision to suspend attacks against Iran for two weeks,” but noted that this decision depends on “Iran opening the straits and stopping the attacks.” He stressed that Israel supports American efforts to ensure that “Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat or through armed groups.”
Netanyahu stressed that the two-week truce “does not include Lebanon,” in a clear indication of the continuation of operations related to the northern front, despite the American-Iranian understanding that was announced.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced his agreement to suspend bombing and attacks against Iran for two weeks, describing the agreement as a “complete and comprehensive victory.” He added that the truce would be mutual, pointing out that Washington had received a 10-item proposal from Iran, which he considered “a viable basis for negotiation.”
Trump linked his decision to the necessity of opening the Strait of Hormuz “completely, immediately, and safely,” following discussions he held with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Marshal Asim Munir, within the framework of mediation carried out by Islamabad with the aim of avoiding a large-scale American strike on Iranian infrastructure.
Shahbaz Sharif also announced that the agreement includes an immediate ceasefire “everywhere, including Lebanon.” However, Netanyahu’s statement came to clearly define the Israeli position, stressing that the Lebanese arena is not part of the announced understanding.
These developments come in the midst of a large-scale regional escalation that witnessed an exchange of strikes and threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, which led to an increase in international tension, before Trump announced the temporary suspension of military operations and the initiation of a new negotiating path.
