French President Macron presses US and Iran to include Lebanon in truce, as Israeli strikes kill 182 in Beirut, challenging the ceasefire’s scope.
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has urged US and Iranian leaders to extend their new ceasefire to cover Lebanon. This call comes as Israel conducted major strikes on Lebanese territory, asserting the truce did not apply there.
Macron stated he expressed his hope for the ceasefire to be respected “across all areas of confrontation, including in Lebanon” during conversations with both US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He called this a necessary condition for the ceasefire to be credible and lasting.
Israel announced it did not consider Lebanon covered by the Iran-US truce announced overnight. Its military strikes on Lebanon killed 182 people and wounded 890, according to an initial government toll.
The bombardment of the capital Beirut was the most violent since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah war last month. Macron is the first Western leader to have spoken with the Iranian president since the ceasefire announcement.
He added any comprehensive negotiations must ensure security for all in the Middle East. Such talks would need to address concerns over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its regional policy.
Macron affirmed France would play its full part in coordination with its partners in the region.