Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian issued a sharp warning on Thursday over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, saying Tehran was prepared to respond and that continued attacks threatened to derail ongoing diplomatic efforts.“Our hands remain on the trigger,” Pezeshkian said, condemning Israel’s operations as a violation of the ceasefire framework and cautioning that such actions could undermine the talks.In a post on X, Pezeshkian said, “Israel’s renewed incursions into Lebanon are a blatant violation of the initial ceasefire agreement. It is a dangerous sign of deception and a lack of commitment to potential agreements. The continuation of these actions will render negotiations futile.”His comments came a day after Israeli attacks in Lebanon reportedly killed more than 200 people. “Iran will never abandon its Lebanese brothers and sisters,” he said, reiterating Tehran’s support for Lebanon amid rising tensions.Netanyahu signals readiness to resume strikesEarlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the current pause in hostilities remains fragile. In his first briefing since the ceasefire with the US and Iran, he said the ceasefire was “not the end” and stressed that Israel retained the option to resume military action.Maintaining a tough stance, Netanyahu said Israel has its finger on the trigger and is ready to return to war at any moment if its objectives are not met.He also underlined that although the ceasefire was reached “in full cooperation” with Israel, it does not apply to Hezbollah. Despite the broader pause involving Iran, Israeli forces “will continue to attack them,” he said.The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire aimed at creating space for negotiations rather than formally ending the conflict. Talks are expected to start in Islamabad under Pakistani mediation.A key condition of the ceasefire is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington linking the continuation of the ceasefire to safe maritime transit. Meanwhile, Iran has proposed comprehensive terms, including sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets.
