The Washington administration is demanding that Iran influence the Shiite movement Hezbollah and convince it to stop attacking Israel.
This was stated by US Permanent Representative to the UN Mike Walz to CBS.
He noted that the US side accepts that “if Iran does not bring Hezbollah under control so that it stops attacking Israel, this will be a violation“ of the agreements between Washington and Tehran.
“The key point is that we have the option of military action and all other options“, added Walz, referring to the possibility of resuming strikes on Iran.
US President Donald Trump earlier said that “Iran must immediately ensure that its high-paid proxies in Lebanon stop causing trouble“. Otherwise, he said, the US would “hit Iran very hard”.
Lebanese army engineers have begun clearing unexploded ordnance in towns and villages in the south of the country that have been hit by Israeli bombardment, according to a statement from the army press service, distributed to the Defense Ministry.
“The operation is being carried out in preparation for the return of local residents to their homes,” the statement said. “Sappers are currently working in the border areas of Bint Jubail and Marjayoun. Bombs and shells were removed from the towns of Blat, Dibin, Majdal Silm, Tibnin and Khirbet Silm.“
The statement also said that the military had cleared access with bulldozers and repaired damaged sections of roads connecting these towns.
For its part, the Lebanese army command warned the population not to return to southern towns and villages after the announced ceasefire. “We recommend that you refrain from traveling to the south until safe conditions are established and humanitarian supplies are restored“, the statement stressed. “We call for caution amid the ongoing Israeli attacks and for full compliance with the directives and instructions of the military units deployed in the region.“
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the number of people displaced by the military escalation in Lebanon currently stands at 963,497, representing 16% of the total population. The ministry noted that “the peak was recorded in mid-April, when the number of refugees from the southern and eastern regions rose to 1,208,869, although some families returned to their areas of residence as the intensity of the hostilities subsided“.