Lebanon must be covered by ceasefire agreement, French foreign minister says

The ceasefire agreed by Iran and the United States must also cover military actions in Lebanon, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday, adding France condemned "massive" Israeli strikes the previous day. Barrot added that he expects Iran to make a series of concessions as part of the peace talks due to start in Pakistan. "Iran must give up having nuclear weapons and means to obtain them, must give up using its missiles and drones to threaten countries in the region and give up supporting groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis who destabilise the region," he said in an interview with Radio Station France Inter. "Iran must also open the traffic in the Strait of Hormuz," he said. Also Read: Trump warns of major war escalation if Iran peace process fails British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also said on Thursday that Israel's attack on Lebanon was "deeply damaging" and risked destabilising the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. "We want to see Lebanon included in the ceasefire," she told Times Radio. "We want it extended to cover Lebanon, because otherwise that will destabilise the whole region." "That escalation that we saw from Israel yesterday was deeply damaging, and we want to see an end to hostilities." Britain, which has faced heavy criticism from US President Donald Trump for failing to provide more support for Washington's war on Iran, has sought to help defend its allies in the Gulf and is now working with other countries on ways to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz. Asked about the strains with its key US ally, Cooper said it was possible for London to remain close to Washington while also taking a different approach in the region. But she said some of Trump's rhetoric, including when he threatened to destroy Iran's civilisation, had been dangerous. "I think that the rhetoric that we've seen used has been completely wrong," she told Sky News. "That sort of escalatory rhetoric can have escalatory consequences." Read More: Iran halts oil traffic, sounds alarm on ceasefire violations as Israel attacks Lebanon At least 182 people were killed and nearly 900 wounded on Wednesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Amnesty International’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, says that the “nightmare for civilians has become more terrifying” in Lebanon, “just hours after the world cautiously welcomed news of a US-Israeli ceasefire with Iran”. “Civilians in Lebanon are already paying an unbearable price with children, health workers and journalists amongst those killed – the latest attacks will only escalate this devastating human toll,” Heba said. Israel said its battle against Hezbollah was not part of the US-Iran truce agreed late Tuesday, an argument echoed by US Vice President JD Vance, days before he is due to lead talks with Tehran in Pakistan. "If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart... over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that's ultimately their choice," he said. But Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to threaten the ceasefire, posting on X that the "workable basis on which to negotiate" had already been violated, making further talks "unreasonable". More than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel launched airstrikes and a ground invasion last month.