Iran mulling withdrawal from Trump truce plan as Israel pounds Lebanon
Moments after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a "decisive victory" over Iran, Iranian state media has claimed that Tehran is mulling the possibility of exiting the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire. The statements come as Israel announced that its attacks on Lebanon were not part of the ceasefire deal. On Wednesday, hours after President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire to discuss terms with the "new Iranian regime", reports of Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued. Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported that an oil refinery came under attack on Wednesday, and as per an Al Jazeera report, explosions were heard on Iran's Sirri island. Multiple explosions have also been reported in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
The developments have reignited concerns about whether the ceasefire would last until the scheduled negotiations with Iran on Friday. On Tuesday, hours before President Donald Trump's "8 p.m. ET" deadline, the critical ceasefire agreement was reached between Tehran and Washington that included the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, on the other hand, offered a 10-point agenda that President Trump has agreed to discuss. Announcing the ceasefire, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the U.S. had met and exceeded all its military objectives and was far along with "a definitive agreement concerning long-term peace with Iran." "We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate," Trump wrote.
'It takes time for ceasefires to hold': Pete Hegseth
In a Wednesday morning briefing, Hegseth announced the ceasefire deal as a victory for the United States, as Iran has agreed to hand over its nuclear materials and open the Strait of Hormuz. However, even as he addressed reporters, touting the U.S's victory, Israeli and Iranian attacks continued in the Middle East. When asked if there was a window for the ceasefire to come into effect, Hegseth took a dig at Iran, indicating that troops might not have received the ceasefire message yet.
"We were monitoring that last night in real time. Of course we are. Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations to know not to shoot. Not to shoot any longer. One way attacks or missiles, because this is...it takes time sometimes for ceasefires to take hold. We're watching it, we're prepared if necessary. But we hope and believe that it'll hold," he said.
The Lebanon obstacle and Israel's position
Iran continues to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Following Trump's ceasefire announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he supports the U.S. President's decision to "suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks" but added that the "ceasefire does not include Lebanon." Trump has backed Netanyahu's statement, telling PBS Newshour's Liz Landers that Lebanon was not included in the deal "because of Hezbollah." "That’ll get taken care of too. It’s alright," he said. Both Iran and Pakistan, however, maintain that an immediate halt to attacks on Lebanon was a part of the deal.
The Iran–U.S. Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose—ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 8, 2026
The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments. pic.twitter.com/2bzVlHFKgi
In fact, one of the 10 points Iran put forth included an immediate halt to Israeli military action in Lebanon. The other points included a lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions, terminations of IAEA and UN resolutions, and war reparations. Citing Israel's actions, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi raised alleged "ceasefire violations" with Pakistani mediators. As per multiple reports from Iranian media, Tehran remains prepared to withdraw from the ceasefire and retaliate. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also threatened to deliver a "regret-inducing response" if Israel continued its military operation in Lebanon. "We strongly warn the United States, which has broken its commitments and is a partner to this brutal regime, that if the aggression against Lebanon is not immediately halted, we will act upon our duty and deliver a regret-inducing response to the malicious aggressors in the region," the IRGC wrote in a Telegram post, as per an NBC News report.
