Lebanon-Iran War of Words Escalates, Overshadows Ceasefire Progress with Israel

Tehran, Iran – An increasingly bitter war of words between Beirut and Tehran is highlighting Lebanon's central role in the Iran-US ceasefire agreement.

On Sunday, Iran responded to an Israeli airstrike targeting a suspected Hezbollah site in the southern suburbs of Beirut—an unofficial 'red line' for Tehran—by launching a barrage of missiles at Israel. Israel then struck Tehran and other cities on Monday, threatening to end the two-month-old ceasefire between Iran and the US.

Tensions have escalated since Israeli forces crossed the Litani River last month—a point Israel unilaterally sees as a buffer zone to eliminate Hezbollah elements—prompting the Lebanese government to call for an end to outside interference.

Last week, it was reported that US President Donald Trump persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to target Beirut, arguing that such escalation could end the regional ceasefire in place since April.

Israel's incursion has deepened strains between Iran, which backs Hezbollah, and the Lebanese government seeking to assert control over weapons within the country. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned Thursday that 'there will be no peace in the region' if Israel continues its occupation of southern Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed there is no way to end the war other than 'negotiations and diplomacy' and criticized Tehran for 'using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in negotiations' with the US. He said Hezbollah must understand there is no alternative to sitting down for dialogue, which Beirut is trying to achieve through direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that President Aoun seemed to believe Iran, not Israel, was the occupying power in Lebanese territory. 'If Lebanon were Iran's bargaining chip, we would have reached a deal long ago. Save Lebanon from its real enemy, Mr. President,' he wrote on X on Saturday, referring to Israel and Aoun.

Hezbollah opposes direct talks with Israel and wants Iran to play a bigger role in peace negotiations to end the crisis. A conditional ceasefire between the Lebanese government and Israel, brokered by Washington without Hezbollah representation, sets conditions including removal of armed groups south of the Litani River and establishment of 'pilot zones' controlled by the Lebanese army.

Analyst Negar Mortazavi from the Center for International Policy in Washington noted that while Israel has shown patience with attacks in the south, targeting the southern suburb of Dahiyeh would represent a serious escalation. She argued the deadlock cannot last much longer, and events will either return to escalating conflict or lead to a genuine peace agreement.

Iran insists any long-term peace deal with the US depends on ending the war in Lebanon. Israel's nearly unchallenged advances in southern Lebanon have angered hardliners in Iran, who are urging the government to act. Analyst Abbas Abdi on state TV argued that mere pro-Hezbollah symbols are not a deterrent, and Iran may have to show that 'negotiations are not important to us.'

Recently, there has been direct tension between the two sides as US forces struck Iranian islands and the IRGC launched missiles and drones at US CENTCOM bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Politician Mostafa Najafi described Israel's attacks on Lebanon as part of a coordinated effort with the US blockade of southern Iran's waters to force Tehran into submission. Lawmaker Amirhossein Sabeti suggested President Trump is only 'playing games' with the Iranian administration to keep peace until the World Cup ends, after which the US could start a fiercer war and turn Iran into 'a second Gaza.'