US Vice President J.D. Vance clarified that the United States “never gave that promise” to include Lebanon in the temporary ceasefire with Iran.
Speaking to journalists before leaving Hungary, Vance responded to claims by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf that the US had violated three points of the ceasefire agreement. Vance said that with only three points of disagreement, there is likely significant alignment on the remaining terms.
Challenges of enforcing a ceasefire
Vance emphasised that “ceasefires are always difficult to manage,” noting that just one hour after the announcement of the ceasefire by President Donald Trump, several missile launches occurred, prompting reactions from Israel and some Gulf Arab states.
“This is the nature of a ceasefire,” he said. “No ceasefire unfolds without some initial instability. What we have made absolutely clear is that we want the bombings to stop. We want our allies to stop bombing, and we want Iran to do the same. We see indications that things are moving in the right direction, but it will take some time.”
Iran’s uranium enrichment stance
Vance also commented on Iran’s insistence on retaining the “right” to uranium enrichment, stating: “We are not particularly concerned with what they claim they have the right to do. What matters to us is what they actually do.”
Lebanon’s exclusion explained
Regarding Lebanon’s exclusion from the ceasefire, Vance described it as “a reasonable misunderstanding” between the parties.
“I think the Iranian side believed the ceasefire included Lebanon, but that was not the case. We never gave that promise. We never indicated it would happen. What we said was that the ceasefire would focus on Iran and US allies – both Israel and the Gulf Arab states,” he said.
Source: CNA
Also read: Lebanon declares national mourning after deadly Israeili airstrikes
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