Trump’s peace plan teeters as Israel pounds Lebanon and Iran questions negotiations

The future of Middle East stability has been thrown into deep uncertainty just one day after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire.

On Wednesday, Israel launched its heaviest wave of airstrikes yet against Lebanon, killing at least 254 people according to local civil defense reports, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

This escalation—the deadliest day of the conflict—targeted numerous sites including residential areas of Beirut. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that the agreement with Iran does not extend to Israel's campaign against Hezbollah, a stance echoed by US Vice President JD Vance, who suggested Tehran may have fundamentally misunderstood the scope of the truce.

Tehran’s response was swift and defiant. Lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that proceeding with peace talks scheduled for Saturday would be "unreasonable" under the current conditions. Ghalibaf accused the U.S. and Israel of violating the spirit of the ceasefire by ramping up attacks on Iran-aligned forces and insisting on the total abandonment of Iran's nuclear ambitions. While the White House claims Iran has agreed to let the U.S. "dig up and remove" its nuclear infrastructure, Tehran insists that the terms allow it to continue uranium enrichment, highlighting a massive diplomatic rift.

Despite the military chaos, global markets saw oil prices plunge 14% on hopes that the broader conflict might still be contained, though the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most commercial shipping due to naval mines and permits. As Donald Trump threatens 50% tariffs on any nation arming Iran and French President Emmanuel Macron demands that Lebanon be included in the de-escalation, Hezbollah has already begun retaliatory rocket fire into northern Israel. The five-week war, initiated in late February to dismantle Iran's regional influence, remains at a volatile standstill with all parties warning they are ready to resume full-scale combat at a moment's notice.

On Wednesday, Israel launched its heaviest wave of airstrikes yet against Lebanon, killing at least 254 people according to local civil defense reports. This escalation—the deadliest day of the conflict—targeted numerous sites including residential areas of Beirut. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that the agreement with Iran does not extend to Israel's campaign against Hezbollah, a stance echoed by US Vice President JD Vance, who suggested Tehran may have fundamentally misunderstood the scope of the truce.

Tehran’s response was swift and defiant. Lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that proceeding with peace talks scheduled for Saturday would be "unreasonable" under the current conditions. Ghalibaf accused the U.S. and Israel of violating the spirit of the ceasefire by ramping up attacks on Iran-aligned forces and insisting on the total abandonment of Iran's nuclear ambitions. While the White House claims Iran has agreed to let the US "dig up and remove" its nuclear infrastructure, Tehran insists that the terms allow it to continue uranium enrichment, highlighting a massive diplomatic rift.

Despite the military chaos, global markets saw oil prices plunge 14% on hopes that the broader conflict might still be contained, though the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to most commercial shipping due to naval mines and permits. As Donald Trump threatens 50% tariffs on any nation arming Iran and French President Emmanuel Macron demands that Lebanon be included in the de-escalation, Hezbollah has already begun retaliatory rocket fire into northern Israel. The five-week war, initiated in late February to dismantle Iran's regional influence, remains at a volatile standstill with all parties warning they are ready to resume full-scale combat at a moment's notice.

News.Az