The recently declared ceasefire risks collapsing within 24 hours. While a de-escalation agreement is announced, Israeli attacks continue and Iran now states that peace is directly threatened.
What was described as a breakthrough in the US-Iran conflict has quickly turned into a state of uncertainty. Within hours of the ceasefire coming into force, a crucial rift emerges: while the agreement aims to stop the fighting, Israel continues its attacks in Lebanon, reports Associated Press (AP).
The Iranian side described this as a direct violation of the agreement. Minister for Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi clearly articulates the criticism and links responsibility to the US relationship with Israel:
- The terms of the Iran-US ceasefire are clear and explicit: the US must choose - ceasefire or continued war via Israel. They cannot have both.
The statement points to the core of the conflict: that a peace agreement risks being undermined if military attacks continue via other actors.
Intense attacks despite peace announcement
At the same time as the ceasefire was due to come into force, there were widespread Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Data shows that over 100 targets in Beirut were hit in a short period of time, with very significant civilian consequences.
Further reports describe at least 182 deaths in a single day, making it the most intense day of attacks since the conflict began.
The fact that this type of offensive is continuing in parallel with a ceasefire agreement has led several actors to question whether the agreement is being respected in practice at all.
Israel stands firm - the offensive continues
There is no sign of de-escalation from the Israeli side. On the contrary, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the ceasefire does not apply in Lebanon, and that military operations there continue without change.
- The temporary ceasefire with Iran will not include Hezbollah - and we will continue to hit them with all our might, he said when the truce was announced.
This means that a ceasefire agreement exists at the same time as fighting is going on, which in practice puts the agreement out of action.
The peace process is under pressure
As a consequence, the whole peace process is in a critical situation. When attacks continue despite an agreement, a situation is created in which the agreement risks losing its significance even before the negotiations have taken off.
Iran has therefore signaled that it may leave the ceasefire altogether if the attacks continue, considering the developments a clear violation of the agreement's intentions.
At the same time, strategic areas such as the Strait of Hormuz are also affected, with shipping uncertainty increasing as the conflict deepens. There are reports that Iran will close the Strait to shipping due to the conflict over the scope of the ceasefire.
A crucial situation
What was supposed to be a pause in the fighting has instead become a test of whether the ceasefire has any real meaning. When one party continues military operations while an agreement is in place, the question arises whether the peace process can be sustained.
US Vice President JD Vance himself described the uncertainty of the situation:
- I think if they negotiate in good faith, we will be able to reach an agreement. That's a big ”if”.
The current situation
Developments show that the ceasefire stands or falls with what happens on the ground. When attacks continue in spite of agreements, several actors point out that it is precisely this action that risks determining whether the conflict moves towards de-escalation, or back into a new and more extensive phase.
The vile Zionist state continues to put a spanner in the works for the rest of the world. How much longer will they be allowed to continue?
The information is rather scattered. What is really going on? Is there any truth in what Bibbi would have said? It makes quite a difference. Or is it an invented post-construction. We don't know.
The Zionist terror state of Israhell has never been known to keep any agreements but on the contrary usually breaks them quite promptly and that is only possible because the Zionists rule the world.