Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday to press ahead with military action against Iran and its regional allies. He issued the statement as United States and Iranian delegations gathered in Islamabad for ceasefire negotiations.
Netanyahu posted the message on the social media platform X after Israeli strikes targeted Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
Netanyahu claimed earlier successes against Iran. He said Israeli operations had crushed Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs. “Under my leadership, Israel will continue to fight against Iran’s terrorist regime and its proxies,” Netanyahu stated.
Israeli forces carried out fresh strikes on Hezbollah sites in Lebanon on Saturday. Netanyahu directed his government to open direct talks with Lebanon next week. He set clear conditions for any agreement. The discussions will focus on disarming the Iran-backed militia and securing a lasting peace between the two neighbors.
However, Netanyahu made plain that the United States-Iran ceasefire did not cover Lebanon. “There is no ceasefire in Lebanon,” he declared. Israel continued to hit Hezbollah targets with force until it restored security to its northern border, he added.
Iran insisted that the truce included its proxies and warned of strong responses to Israeli actions. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said continued strikes would bring explicit costs. The United States maintained that Lebanon fell outside the deal.
Meanwhile Vice President JD Vance joined high-level United States talks in Islamabad. The negotiations aimed to solidify the fragile pause in direct Iran-United States hostilities. Israeli officials expressed concern that the truce could allow Iran time to regroup through its allies.
Netanyahu authorized the Lebanon talks even as operations persisted. He emphasized that Israel would not halt its campaign until Hezbollah posed no further threat. The developments underscored deep divisions over the scope of the ceasefire.
