world
Vice President Vance States Lebanon Excluded from U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire Agreement
Vice President JD Vance stated that a U.S.-Iran cease-fire deal does not include Lebanon, amid Israel's ongoing strikes there. He accused Iran of risking negotiations over the issue. Vance is set to attend peace talks in Pakistan this weekend.
Substrate placeholder — needs reviewAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Vice President JD Vance stated that a cease-fire agreement between the United States and Iran does not include Lebanon. He made the comments while speaking to reporters in Budapest on Wednesday, following a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The meeting aimed to support Orban ahead of an upcoming election.
Vance addressed Israel's continued airstrikes on the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. He said the strikes have 'nothing to do with' Iran and denied that Lebanon was part of the cease-fire. Lebanon's health ministry reported that 182 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday.
Vance accused Iran of jeopardizing peace negotiations due to the strikes in Lebanon. U.S. had not made such a promise.
on the Cease-Fire Vance explained that the cease-fire focuses on Iran and U.S. allies. He said, "We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case. " He added that if Iran allows negotiations to fail over Lebanon, which he described as unrelated to Iran, it would be their decision.
U.S. never indicated Lebanon was part of the agreement. The comments come amid ongoing tensions in the region involving Israel, Iran, and its proxies.
Peace Talks Vance plans to travel to Pakistan for peace talks starting Saturday morning.
He will be accompanied by Steve Witkoff, the president's special envoy, and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the travel details on Wednesday. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Tuesday evening that Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate cease-fire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere.
This announcement contrasts with Vance's statements excluding Lebanon from the deal. The talks in Pakistan are expected to address broader regional peace efforts. The situation affects multiple parties, including civilians in Lebanon, where strikes have caused significant casualties.
