TEHRAN – Israel is openly violating the ceasefire reached between Iran and the United States by carrying out deadly attacks in Lebanon, despite the truce being intended to pause regional hostilities.

The ceasefire was agreed upon between Tehran and Washington through mediation by Pakistan.

“With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in the early hours of Wednesday.

Under the agreement, Israel was expected to halt its attacks on Lebanon. The ceasefire was based on Iran’s 10-point proposal, which US President Donald Trump described as “a workable basis on which to negotiate.” Iran and the United States are scheduled to begin talks in Islamabad on Friday after Trump announced a two-week halt to all attacks.

Nonetheless, on Wednesday, the Israeli military carried out a large wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, with reports of high casualties nationwide. Hospitals have been overwhelmed, and many people are believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings. Israel described the operation as the largest wave of airstrikes in the current conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s continued warmongering has drawn sharp criticism, including from Iran’s former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

“The wanted Israeli war criminal and his accomplice in the Persian Gulf are terrified of peace. They blackmailed and bribed the US, dragging it into this war, and are now desperately sabotaging the ceasefire, pulling the world back into the abyss. Stop them before they succeed!” Zarif wrote on X.

Late on Wednesday, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement warning of a regret-inducing response if Israel does not stop its attacks in Lebanon.

“We strongly warn the treacherous United States and its murderous Zionist partner: if acts of aggression against Lebanon are not immediately stopped, we will fulfill our duty and respond in a way the wicked aggressors in the region will regret,” the IRGC said.

Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, confirmed that the military is preparing a strong response to Israeli attacks.

“Aggression against Hezbollah is aggression against Iran. The battlefield is preparing a heavy response to the regime’s brutal crimes,” he said.

Meanwhile, an informed source told Tasnim News Agency that Iran may exit the ceasefire agreement with the United States if Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon, describing them as ongoing violations of the truce.

In a rebuke to Netanyahu’s warmongering, the source added: “If the United States cannot restrain its rabid dog in the region, Iran will exceptionally assist it in doing so — by force.”

Under the 10-point plan, Iran agreed to allow normal transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz via coordination mechanisms. Ship-tracking service MarineTraffic reported that the first vessels passed through the strait on Wednesday.

However, later on Wednesday, Fars News Agency reported that Iran had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, blocking oil tankers in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

Since the outset of the joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran, which began on February 28, Iran has maintained full control of the waterway, allowing passage only to vessels not affiliated with the US or Israel and those uninvolved in the aggression against Iran.