Ceasefire Prospects Grow Dimmer? Trump's VP Suddenly Calls Iran Foolish
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The United States Vice President, JD Vance, has warned Iran not to endanger the ceasefire agreement with Washington following the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. This statement responds to claims by Iran and mediator Pakistan that Lebanon should be included in the scope of that agreement.
Quoting Al Jazeera, Vance stated that the US never agreed to halt Israel’s attacks on Lebanon in the two-week ceasefire deal. He emphasised that the decision to continue or halt negotiations now lies entirely with Tehran.
“If Iran wants to let these negotiations collapse in a conflict where they have been thoroughly beaten just for Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and where the United States has never once stated that it is part of the ceasefire, then that is their choice,” Vance said as he left Hungary on Wednesday.
“We think that would be a foolish action, but it is their choice,” he added, referring to Iran.
Vance further stated that there was a misunderstanding in diplomatic communications. He dismissed the existence of a formal agreement binding Israel’s military operations in Lebanon in the draft approved by the United States.
“There is a lot of bad-faith negotiation and a lot of bad-faith propaganda happening. I think this stems from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranian side thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, when in fact it does not,” Vance explained.
On the same occasion, Vance also revealed that Israel has provided certain assurances to maintain the continuity of the major negotiations between the United States and Iran that are currently underway. He said that the Israeli side has committed to exercising some restraint in Lebanon.
“Because they want to ensure that the US-Iran negotiations succeed,” Vance said.
Previously, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, posted a statement from Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, affirming that Lebanon is included in the ceasefire provisions. Araghchi gave a stark ultimatum to Washington regarding Israel’s involvement in the conflict.
“The Iran-US ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the US must choose ceasefire or continue the war through Israel. They cannot have both,” Araghchi wrote.
On the other hand, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a threat to launch retaliatory attacks if Israel does not immediately halt its operations in Lebanese territory. Quoting the IRGC’s official statement on Wednesday, the military group affirmed its readiness to return to combat.
“If the aggression against our beloved Lebanon is not immediately stopped, we will carry out our duty and deliver a painful response to the evil aggressors in the region,” read the IRGC’s official statement.