Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for the United States’ decision to suspend strikes on Iran, but said the two-week truce will not extend to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Lebanon.
But the two-week ceasefire “does not include Lebanon”, he said.
In a statement on X on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel backed US President Donald Trump’s efforts to ensure “Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran’s Arab neighbors and the world”.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that it had suspended attacks on Iran in accordance with the instructions of the country’s leadership and maintained enhanced combat readiness.
“In accordance with the directives of the political echelon, the IDF is suspending fire as part of the campaign against Iran and is on high alert in defense and ready to respond to any violation,” the army said in a statement.
Netanyahu’s statement came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the US, Iran and their allies “have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere”.
Sharif said the move was “effective immediately”.
US President Donald Trump announced that he had agreed to a two-week bilateral ceasefire with Iran, pledging Iran had also agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Supreme National Security Council said thereafter Tehran will begin talks with the US on Friday in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Netanyahu received assurances from the US that during negotiations with Iran, US officials would urge Tehran to abandon its nuclear materials, halt uranium enrichment, and renounce the threat posed by ballistic missiles, Axios reported, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official.
