"Ceasefire agreement between United States and Iran should extend to Lebanon," says EU's Kaja Kallas

Brussels [Belgium], April 9 (ANI): The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has called for a significant expansion of the current regional truce, asserting that the "ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran should extend to Lebanon."
In a series of statements addressing the escalating Middle East crisis, Kallas underscored the necessity of de-escalation while demanding that the "Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah must disarm."

The EU's top diplomat offered a balanced yet firm critique of the ongoing hostilities, noting that while "Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction."
Kallas expressed mounting concern over the longevity of existing diplomatic efforts, warning that "Israeli actions are putting the US-Iran ceasefire under severe strain."
She noted that, to preserve regional stability, "the Iran truce should extend to Lebanon."
Her remarks come amid reports of intensifying military operations in the region. Referencing the human cost of the recent escalations, Kallas pointed out that "Israeli strikes killed hundreds last night, making it hard to argue that such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defence."
The fragile state of this regional stability is further complicated by Israel's continued operations in Lebanon. These actions have directly threatened the temporary ceasefire, leading Iran to accuse the US-Israeli side of violating the agreement.
In a sharp diplomatic escalation, Tehran has threatened to withdraw from the high-level negotiations set to take place in Islamabad this weekend.
The Iranian delegation to Islamabad is scheduled to be led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He has explicitly accused the Israeli side of violating three key clauses of the 10-point proposal that established the temporary ceasefire intended to kickstart further negotiations.
Ghalibaf stated that "the deep historical distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of all forms of commitments, a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again."
According to Ghalibaf, the first major breach involves non-compliance with the first clause of the proposal regarding a ceasefire in Lebanon. He noted this was a commitment Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had explicitly declared as "an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and other regions, effective immediately."
The Speaker also cited the entry of an "intruding drone into Iranian airspace," which was destroyed in the city of Lar in Fars Province, as a clear violation of the clause prohibiting airspace incursions. Additionally, he accused the opposing side of violating the sixth clause by denying "Iran's right to enrichment."
Given these alleged breaches, Ghalibaf argued that proceeding with a "bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable" because the core clauses have been violated before formal talks could even commence.
Conversely, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained defiant, insisting that the Lebanon theatre was never part of the original deal. "I insisted that the temporary ceasefire with Iran not include Hezbollah. And we continue to strike them forcefully," Netanyahu stated.
The Israeli PM highlighted the scale of recent strikes, claiming that Israel dealt Hezbollah its "greatest blow" since the pager incidents by attacking 100 targets in just 10 minutes. He emphasised that these strikes hit locations the group believed were "immune."
Netanyahu's stance remains focused on Israel's primary objective: prohibiting Iran from enriching uranium, which Tel Aviv believes is intended for a nuclear weapon. He expressed a determination to achieve this either through negotiation or by "resuming the fighting."
"I want to make this clear: We still have goals to complete, and we will achieve them either by agreement or by resuming the fighting. We are prepared to return to combat at any moment required. Our finger is on the trigger," he warned.
For Israel, the current ceasefire is viewed not as a finality but as a "milestone on the path to achieving all goals." Despite the friction, direct talks between the US and Iran are still slated for Islamabad this weekend, aimed at ending weeks of intense hostilities.
The upcoming summit follows a two-week immediate ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran. The US delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, while the Iranian side will be represented by Speaker Ghalibaf. (ANI)