Israel carried out airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday evening, killing more than 250 people, just hours after the United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. The attack has turned Lebanon into a new fault line in the fragile peace process. Iran responded by launching missiles toward Israel and Gulf countries, raising fears that the truce could collapse before scheduled peace talks in Pakistan.

Iran insists that any ceasefire agreement must include Lebanon and halt attacks on Hezbollah, but the United States and Israel disagree. President Donald Trump told PBS News that Lebanon was excluded from the ceasefire because of Hezbollah, which Washington classifies as a terrorist organization. Senior US officials said Trump is determined to dismantle Iran’s “axis of resistance,” including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Israel maintains that Hezbollah poses an existential threat and continues its operations in Lebanon.

Pakistan, acting as mediator, has stated that the ceasefire should apply universally, including Lebanon. The ambiguity over Lebanon’s inclusion poses a major test for US diplomacy and could determine whether the fragile truce holds or collapses.