US must choose ‘ceasefire or continued war’, Iranian FM says

“The Iran–US ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the US must choose, ceasefire or continued war via Israel,” Araghchi said in a social media post. “It cannot have both,” News.Az reports, citing Iran's English-language Press TV.

According to Press TV, the warning came hours after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, killing at least 254 people and wounding hundreds more.

Araghchi said the ceasefire agreement reached through Pakistani mediation explicitly included Lebanon.

“The world sees the massacres in Lebanon,” he wrote. “The ball is in the US court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei issued a separate statement strongly condemning the “savage attacks” on Lebanon.

He described the strikes as “an outrageous and shameful crime”, adding that the US had committed, under the understanding reached with Iran through Pakistani mediation, that Lebanon would be included in the Iran–US ceasefire.

“As the Prime Minister of Pakistan has also stated, the cessation of war on the Lebanese front is one of the components of the Iran–US ceasefire understanding,” Baqaei said.

“Today’s crimes by the Zionist regime against Lebanon constitute a clear violation of this understanding.”

He warned of “very dangerous consequences” arising from what he described as the regime’s actions, including mass civilian casualties and the destruction of residential buildings.

The spokesman said the US government bears direct responsibility for what he called the massacre.

Baqaei extended condolences to the families of those killed, wished a swift recovery for the wounded, and expressed solidarity with the people and government of Lebanon.