Iran says ceasefire must include Lebanon

Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that ending military operations in Lebanon is a key component of the ceasefire agreement with the United States, and the U.S. must choose between a ceasefire or a continued war via Israel.

Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 254 people and injuring 1,165 others, with densely populated neighborhoods in the capital, Beirut, among the hardest hit. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned Israel's large-scale airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, calling the move an outrageous and shameful crime.

Baghaei said that an end to military operations in Lebanon is an important part of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, just as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

He said the attacks blatantly violated the ceasefire deal and held the U.S. government directly responsible. 　　 Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that the United States must choose between upholding a ceasefire or pursuing what he described as "continued war via Israel," referring to Israel's continuing to strike Lebanon.

"The Iran-U.S. ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose -- ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both," Araghchi wrote on X.

"The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments," the Iranian foreign minister said.

On the same day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement, accusing Israel of carrying out another brutal massacre in Lebanon just hours after the ceasefire was announced.

The IRGC warned the United States and Israel that unless the aggression stops immediately, it will fulfill its duty to deliver a harsh response.

Iran may withdraw from the ceasefire if Israel continues strikes on Lebanon, and Iranian forces are identifying potential targets in retaliation, Tasnim News Agency reported, citing sources.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying that Iran has informed regional mediators that the upcoming talks in Islamabad must be based on the cessation of attacks on Lebanon.

Iran also warned that it could reverse its decision of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, threatening retaliatory actions against Israel and other regional states if attacks persist.

The U.S. dollar weakened in late trading on Wednesday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, dropped 0.72 percent to 99.142 at 15:00 (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro increased to 1.1683 dollars from 1.1574 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was up to 1.3415 dollars from 1.3251 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 158.51 Japanese yen, lower than 159.73 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar declined to 0.7914 Swiss francs from 0.7988 Swiss francs, and it fell to 1.3849 Canadian dollars from 1.3899 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar lost to 9.3069 Swedish kronor from 9.5065 Swedish kronor.