Cairo, Egypt – Web Desk: Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has declared that Israel will not remain in Lebanon and that the group will respond to any violation from the Israeli side, escalating tensions despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Friday .
His statements came as Israeli officials asserted that troops remain “free to act without restriction” to eliminate threats in Lebanon despite the agreed truce .
Trump’s Warning to Iran
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of renewed military action if Tehran fails to rein in groups aligned with it in Lebanon, as Israel continued carrying out strikes against Hezbollah targets despite the ceasefire .
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called on Iran to immediately halt what he described as its proxies in Lebanon from “causing trouble” . He cautioned that Washington would respond forcefully if the situation escalates further .
“If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder,” Trump wrote .
Diplomatic Context
The warnings came as senior US and Iranian officials were engaged in talks in Switzerland, with Pakistan and Qatar participating in mediation efforts aimed at easing tensions between the two sides .
Israeli strikes have continued despite the ceasefire, with at least 20 people killed in Lebanon hours after the truce took effect . The Lebanese government has called on the United States to “pressure Israel to fully implement the ceasefire agreement” and withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories .
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for any Israeli violations that “necessitate a response” .
