TEHRAN - Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told the Tehran Times that Iran will take “proportionate” measures if Israel continues its strikes in Lebanon and blamed the United States for greenlighting the “Zionist regime’s crimes.”

Visiting the headquarters of the Tehran Times on Tuesday, Gharibabadi reiterated that the April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States covers all fronts, including Lebanon.

“The continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes and strikes in Lebanon amounts to a violation of the ceasefire because the truce between Tehran and Washington includes Lebanon. Its violation will prompt the Islamic Republic to take proportionate measures, and the necessary messages were conveyed to the relevant parties on Monday,” he said.

The deputy foreign minister said the United States is capable of preventing Israeli crimes in Lebanon, noting that such actions cannot take place without Washington’s greenlight. 

Before the April 8 ceasefire was finalized, Iran explicitly communicated to the United States that halting Israel’s war in Lebanon was among its conditions. According to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Donald Trump fully agreed to the condition at the time. Iran has stressed that any deal with the United States aimed at permanently ending the joint US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28 must include a halt to Israel’s war in Lebanon.

Nonetheless, Israel has continued its aggression in Lebanon. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to bomb the Dahiyeh area, a Shia-majority district in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

On the same day, Iran issued a stern warning to Washington and Tel Aviv over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, warned that Israel would pay a price for its “escalation of war crimes” in Lebanon.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also wrote on X on Monday: “The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation.”

In addition, Iran’s military warned of retaliation if Netanyahu carries out his threat and bombs Beirut. Tehran further said it would withdraw from diplomatic engagement with the United States if Israel presses ahead with its attacks in Lebanon.

Against this backdrop, US media reported that Trump lashed out at Netanyahu during a phone call on Monday. According to Axios, the US president fumed at the premier over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon during the “expletive-laden” conversation. Citing two American officials and a third source briefed on the call, Axios reported that Trump called Netanyahu “crazy” and accused him of ingratitude.

The report said Trump warned Netanyahu that following through on his threats to bomb Beirut would further isolate Israel internationally.

“You’re f***ing crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” Trump was quoted as saying.

Trump later claimed on Truth Social that he had also spoken with representatives of Hezbollah and that both sides agreed not to attack each other.

However, the reported tense phone call between Trump and Netanyahu appears largely theatrical. If Trump is capable of stopping Israel’s strikes in Lebanon with a phone call, questions arise as to why similar pressure was not applied earlier to prevent months of attacks and the deaths of thousands of people in Lebanon since early March.

It seems that Trump is concerned that Israel’s continued military actions in Lebanon could disrupt efforts to secure a broader agreement with Tehran aimed at permanently ending the US-Israeli war against Iran. The conflict has contributed to rising fuel prices and inflationary pressures in the United States. The repercussions of the war have also weighed on Trump’s popularity, which has fallen to record lows, potentially creating political challenges for Republicans ahead of the midterm congressional elections.

In this context, Trump and Netanyahu are playing a classic “good cop, bad cop” game. While media reports portray Trump as restraining Netanyahu and expressing frustration over Israel’s actions in Lebanon, Washington has continued to provide political and military backing to Israel. The phone call therefore does not necessarily signal a genuine rift between the two leaders.

Instead, the exchange may serve a broader strategic purpose. By publicly presenting Trump as a moderating force and Netanyahu as the uncompromising hardliner, the two sides can create the impression of disagreement while ultimately pursuing the same objectives. Such a narrative could help ease international pressure on Washington and preserve diplomatic engagement with Iran at a time when the Trump administration is seeking a broader agreement to end hostilities.

By Shahrokh Saei