Trump says Lebanon not included in US-Iran ceasefire amid Israeli assault

The US president says the war in Lebanon is a ‘separate skirmish’ as Israel kills dozens across the country after regional truce.President Donald Trump has claimed that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, contradicting the assertion of Pakistan, which mediated the truce.After Israel launched a massive assault on Lebanon on Wednesday, killing and injuring hundreds of people in densely populated areas, Trump said the Israeli war on Hezbollah is a “separate skirmish”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Stone Age’ to ‘Golden Age’: How the final hours before the truce unfoldedlist 2 of 3Hegseth touts US ‘victory’ over Iran as Tehran hails its own ‘historic’ winlist 3 of 3Iran, US both claim victory, but did they actually concede ground?end of list“Because of Hezbollah, they were not included in the deal,” Trump told the public broadcaster PBS. “That’ll get taken care of, too. It’s all right.”The exclusion of Lebanon from the truce risks jeopardising the ceasefire across the region. State-affiliated Iranian news outlets have reported that Tehran will take serious steps to respond to the Israeli attacks in Lebanon.The Fars News Agency said “oil tankers have been suspended from passing through the Strait of Hormuz” in response to the Israeli assault.Iranian officials, however, have not confirmed the report. It is also unclear whether the purported suspension was temporary or if it will remain in effect for a longer term.The news agency Tasnim also cited an informed Iranian source as saying that Tehran would withdraw from the agreement if Israel continues to violate the ceasefire with its attack on Lebanon.A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera Arabic that Tehran will “punish Israel in response to the crime it committed in Lebanon”.The official stressed that the ceasefire includes the entire region. “Israel is known for breaking promises and will only be deterred by bullets,” the source said.