Israel has ordered people to flee areas in Lebanon as it warned of further strikes, while the Israel Defense Forces said it is continuing operations in south Beirut. The developments come as the wider Middle East crisis remains under intense pressure, with the status of a US-Iran two-week ceasefire increasingly uncertain.
According to the latest reporting, Israel is maintaining that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire arrangement announced between the US and Iran. That position has added to concerns that the truce could unravel further if fighting expands beyond the immediate US-Iran context.
In the diplomatic fallout, the UK foreign minister, Yvette Cooper, has said Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement. In additional remarks reported by Reuters, Cooper said shipping through the strait of Hormuz must be toll-free.
The strait has also become a point of contention in the ceasefire talks. Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels seeking safe passage through the waterway. On Wednesday, Donald Trump suggested the US and Iran could collect tolls in a joint venture, while the White House said the priority was reopening the strait without limitations.
Those competing ideas highlight how the ceasefire discussions are overlapping with wider disputes over maritime security and regional leverage. The strait of Hormuz is a critical shipping route, and any restrictions or added costs would have implications beyond the immediate conflict.
The wider situation has left the ceasefire in serious doubt as Israel continues its assaults on Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers, according to the report. The result is a fast-moving crisis in which military operations and diplomatic efforts are unfolding at the same time, with no clear sign of an immediate breakthrough.
Cooper’s intervention reflects growing concern among allies that any durable ceasefire would need to address Lebanon as well as the direct US-Iran dispute. Her comments also underline the urgency of keeping key trade routes open and free of added barriers.
Meanwhile, the disagreement over Hormuz suggests that even if a temporary understanding is reached, broader questions about access, security and enforcement will remain unresolved. The White House has indicated it wants the strait reopened without limits, while Tehran’s toll proposal points in the opposite direction.
For now, the focus remains on the ground in Lebanon and on whether the fighting can be contained before the ceasefire talks collapse altogether.
