The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has issued a formal call for the existing regional truce to be significantly expanded. She asserted that the ceasefire agreement currently held between the United States and Iran must be extended to include Lebanon to ensure its survival.

In her address regarding the escalating Middle East crisis, Kallas underscored the urgent need for de-escalation while simultaneously demanding that the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah disarm.

Offering a firm critique of the ongoing hostilities, the EU’s top diplomat noted that while Hezbollah was responsible for dragging Lebanon into the conflict, Israel’s right to self-defence does not provide a justification for inflicting such massive destruction.

Kallas expressed deep concern over the durability of current diplomatic efforts, warning that continued Israeli military actions are placing the US-Iran ceasefire under severe strain. To preserve regional stability, she insisted that the truce must encompass Lebanese territory.

These remarks were made against a backdrop of intensifying military operations. Referencing the high human cost of recent escalations, Kallas pointed out that Israeli strikes killed hundreds in a single night. She argued that such heavy-handed actions make it difficult to maintain the position that these operations fall strictly within the boundaries of self-defence.

The fragile regional stability is further compromised by Israel’s ongoing operations in Lebanon, which have led Iran to accuse the US-Israeli side of violating the temporary agreement. In a sharp diplomatic escalation, Tehran has threatened to withdraw from the high-level negotiations scheduled to take place in Islamabad this weekend.

The Iranian delegation is set to be led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has explicitly accused Israel of violating three key clauses of the 10-point proposal that established the ceasefire.

Ghalibaf stated that the deep historical distrust Iran holds toward the United States is rooted in repeated violations of commitments, a pattern he believes is being repeated. He identified the first major breach as non-compliance with the first clause regarding a ceasefire in Lebanon. This commitment, according to Ghalibaf, was one that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had declared would be an immediate ceasefire in all regions, effective immediately.

The Speaker further cited the destruction of an intruding drone in the Iranian city of Lar, Fars Province, as a clear violation of the clause prohibiting airspace incursions. Additionally, he accused the opposing side of violating the sixth clause of the agreement by denying Iran’s right to uranium enrichment. Ghalibaf argued that proceeding with bilateral negotiations is unreasonable when core clauses have been breached before formal talks have even begun.

In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains defiant, maintaining that the Lebanese theatre was never part of the original deal. He insisted that he had specifically demanded the temporary ceasefire with Iran exclude Hezbollah, allowing Israel to continue striking the group forcefully. Netanyahu highlighted the scale of recent operations, claiming Israel dealt Hezbollah its greatest blow since the pager incidents by attacking 100 targets in 10 minutes.

The Israeli Prime Minister emphasised that these strikes hit locations the group previously considered immune. His primary focus remains prohibiting Iran from enriching uranium for a potential nuclear weapon, an objective he is determined to achieve through either negotiation or a resumption of hostilities. Netanyahu warned that Israel is prepared to return to combat at any moment, describing the ceasefire not as a finality but as a milestone toward achieving all national goals.

Despite these significant frictions, direct talks between the US and Iran are still slated for Islamabad this weekend to end weeks of intense hostilities. This upcoming summit follows a two-week immediate ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran. The United States delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, while Speaker Ghalibaf is still scheduled to represent the Iranian side.

ANI