Breaking: Israeli forces launch heavy airstrikes on Lebanon; Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz

On April 8 local time, one day after U.S. President Trump and Iran announced they had reacheda mutual ceasefire,Israel launched the most intense airstrikes against Lebanon to date, causing heavy casualties. Iran immediately issued warnings of retaliation and said it would continue negotiating with the U.S. for a permanent peace“unreasonable”. The Strait of Hormuz was closed again, and the freshly signed ceasefire agreement faced a severe test.

According to authoritative media reports including CCTV News, Iranian Parliament Speaker Qalibaf posted on social media that U.S.-Iran negotiations have not yet begun, and three key items of theten-point ceasefire terms proposed by Iran have already been violated.He bluntly stated that Iran has long-held deep distrust of the U.S., rooted in repeated U.S. breaches of various promises. Trump had once said that Iran's “ten-point plan” could serve as a feasible basis and core framework for negotiations; now that framework has been openly undermined.

Qalibaf clearly listed three breaches:

1. Violation of the Lebanon ceasefire clause:The “ten-point plan”'s first article requires a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced an immediate, territory-wide ceasefire including Lebanon; Israel's airstrikes directly contravene that commitment.

2. Violation of Iranian airspace:A drone entered the airspace of Lar city in Fars province, Iran, and was shot down, violating the agreement prohibiting incursions into Iranian airspace.

3. Denial of uranium enrichment rights:The U.S. refused to recognize Iran's right to enrich uranium, violating Article Six of the “ten-point plan”.

Qalibaf emphasized that the negotiation basis was trampled before talks even began, making calls for ceasefire and negotiations meaningless at this time.

That same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire terms are clear and that the U.S. must choose one of two options: either a full ceasefire, or continued fighting using Israel; it cannot have both. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Babaei angrily denounced the Israeli airstrikes as a “heinous and shameful crime”, saying that ending military operations in Lebanon is an important part of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and that the U.S. should bear direct responsibility for it.

U.S. and Israel respond: ceasefire excludes Lebanon but negotiations will continue

Both Israel and the U.S. insisted that the two-week ceasefire agreementdoes not cover Lebanon.Trump said Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire arrangements and expressed confidence that the action would not undermine the overall agreement.

U.S. Vice President Pence, visiting Hungary, responded to Iran's accusations by saying the ceasefire agreement never extended to Lebanon. The U.S. position has always been that Iran must not enrich uranium; if Iran allows the Lebanon situation to derail negotiations and trigger conflict, Iran itself would be responsible. Pence also revealed that Israel had pledged to the U.S. to exercise restraint in Lebanon to ensure the negotiations proceed smoothly.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the first round of U.S.-Iran talks is scheduled for April 11 in Islamabad, Pakistan. The U.S. delegation will be led by Vice President Pence, Presidential Envoy Whitkof, and Kushner.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was reached after full coordination with Israel, and that it does not mark the end of the war but rather a stage in achieving Israel's war objectives. The ceasefire agreement does not apply to military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Strait of Hormuz closed again, shipping disrupted

On the 8th local time,the Strait of Hormuz was closed again.Maritime traffic tracking data showed that the tanker “AUROURA” suddenly made a 180-degree turn near the Musandam Peninsula of Oman and returned deep into the Persian Gulf.

Iran said it halted tanker transits through the strait after Israel's attack on Lebanon. Pence rebutted this, saying there were signs the strait had reopened. The White House stated that Trump wants the Strait of Hormuz to be open without restrictions and without fees. But oil and shipping analysts noted that even if the U.S. and Iran reached a ceasefire on Tuesday, traffic through the strait had not increased compared to during the conflict, and shipping tensions had not eased.