Israel backs Trump’s Iran pause, but Lebanon exclusion keeps conflict risk alive

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said his country backed US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause military strikes against Iran for two weeks, but stressed that the ceasefire would not extend to Lebanon.

In a series of posts on X, Netanyahu's office said the pause was conditional on Iran immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks on the United States, Israel and other countries in the region.

“Israel also supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran's Arab neighbours and the world,” the Prime Minister's Office said.

“The two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” it added, without elaborating.

The exclusion underscores the risk that hostilities along Israel’s northern border, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah is based, could continue even as Washington and Tehran explore a diplomatic off-ramp to their standoff.

Earlier, Trump said he would suspend imminent US strikes against Iran, citing what he called a “workable” 10-point proposal from Tehran and mediation efforts by Pakistan’s leadership.

In a post on X, Trump said he made the decision after conversations with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who urged him to “hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran.”

The US president said the pause hinges on Iran agreeing to the “complete, immediate, and safe opening” of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil shipments.

Trump described the move as a “double-sided ceasefire,” saying US military objectives had already been achieved and that negotiations toward a broader agreement were “very far along.”

“We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate,” Trump wrote, adding that “almost all” major points of contention had been resolved.

He also shared a statement attributed to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, saying Tehran would halt its “defensive operations” if attacks against Iran cease.

“If attacks against Iran are halted, our powerful armed forces will cease their defensive operations,” the statement said, adding that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be possible for two weeks under coordination with Iran’s military.

Details of the Iranian proposal, circulated by Iran’s consulate in Hyderabad and not independently verified, include demands for US guarantees of non-aggression, recognition of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, and acceptance of its uranium enrichment program.