Israel-Lebanon ceasefire frays as Iran warns of wider war

Iran’s military adviser, Mohsen Rezaei, told CNN the US risks escalating into a wider conflict if it resumes hostilities, stating negotiations are at a deadlock and the Trump administration must release $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets for a potential peace deal. Rezaei dismissed the possibility of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, calling the decision-making ball in Trump’s court. In Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun accused Iran of using his war-torn country as a ‘bargaining chip’ in its conflict with the US and Israel, adding that Lebanese citizens are exhausted by the ongoing war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Despite a US-mediated ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed four civilians, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. The US military denied Iranian claims that its navy fired warning shots near two US destroyers in the Gulf of Oman, calling such actions a ‘gross violation of the ceasefire.’ Rezaei warned that Iran would ‘drag the war’ beyond the Persian Gulf if tensions persist. Lebanon’s fragile stability remains at risk as Hezbollah continues clashes with Israel, while Iran’s threats of wider regional conflict heighten concerns over a potential breakdown in the truce. The Trump administration’s stance on releasing Iranian assets will be critical in determining whether diplomatic efforts can prevent further escalation.