Pakistan To Blame For Lebanon Confusion In US-Iran Ceasefire? Was Lebanon Part Of Ceasefire Deal Or Not?

9th April 2026 at 2:48 PM

1 minute read

New Delhi : April 8, 2026, was a day of jubilation for Pakistan. After all, it secured its biggest diplomatic win in years by mediating the US-Iran ceasefire. However, within hours, the ceasefire came under strain as Israel carried out its largest strike across Lebanon, Iran’s ally, killing hundreds. The US and Israel said Lebanon, which Tel Aviv has pounded since March 2, was never part of the ceasefire deal. According to Iran, it was. When Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire between the US and Iran on Wednesday, he explicitly mentioned in capital letters that it applied “everywhere”, including Lebanon.

Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,” Sharif tweeted. Within minutes, Israel welcomed the truce deal but asserted that Lebanon was not part of it. Hours later, it unleashed its missiles on Lebanon. It was seconded by Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, in an interview. Sheikh emphasised that Lebanon was included in the ceasefire framework and the announcement by Sharif “could not have been more authentic” to what had been agreed between the parties.

Lebanon got embroiled in the conflict after the armed group Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran, attacked Israel. Israel retaliated by pounding Beirut and key Lebanese cities, killing over 1,500 people since March 2. In a sharply worded statement, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US and Israel of violating the ceasefire. “In such a situation, a ceasefire or negotiations are unreasonable,” Ghalibaf, who is likely to lead peace talks with the US, said.

Now, interpreting the ceasefire deal and communicating it to both sides was Pakistan’s responsibility. In all likelihood, Pakistan botched it up. Iranian media reported that Pakistan might have handed the US a version different from the one it received from Iran. To Iran, Pakistan might have provided a different version from what it received from Washington, The Middle East reported.