Is the ceasefire in the Middle East no more?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on the X platform that “A ceasefire between Iran and the United States constitutes, without any ambiguity, a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon. Any violation of this ceasefire on one front shall be considered a violation of it across all fronts. The United States and Israel bear responsibility for the consequences of any breach of the truce.”

This was a response to the decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who ordered attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut, calling them “terrorist targets.” Washington reportedly agreed to the expansion of operations. According to the U.S., Hezbollah operates under the leadership of Tehran, which is pushing for the intensification of attacks on Israel to improve its negotiating position. It is true that in recent days, Hezbollah has escalated its attacks, striking larger urban areas located more than 14 km (approx. 8.7 miles) from the Israeli-Lebanese border.

From the beginning, Israel declared that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran would not mean an end to operations in Lebanon. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has since continued its offensive, occupying territories in southern Lebanon. The Israeli-Lebanese front is described by Reuters as “one of the most significant spillover effects of the war with Iran.” Since March 2, when Hezbollah began rocket and drone attacks on Israel, more than 1.2 million Lebanese people have fled their homes as a result of Israeli counterattacks and issued evacuation orders. More than 3,300 people have been killed on the Lebanese side in the clashes so far. Meanwhile, Israel has lost 24 soldiers and four civilians. As a result of Hezbollah’s shelling, tens of thousands of Israelis have evacuated from the north of the country.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Monday the downing of Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at a U.S. base in Kuwait. This was Iran’s second attack against that country in less than a week. On Sunday, the American side carried out strikes on Iranian radars as well as drone command and control stations in Garuk, southern Iran, and on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.

Peace negotiations are dragging on, and there is no information regarding any breakthrough concerning a potential agreement between the warring parties. The ceasefire is being violated by all parties to the conflict, and the situation increasingly resembles the state of affairs before its implementation. The American side remains the only actor declaring that the ceasefire is still in effect.