US Democrats Urge Trump to Extend Iran Ceasefire to Lebanon

US Democrats Urge White House to Rein in Israel’s Actions in Lebanon

A group of Democratic lawmakers from the United States has expressed concern over Israel’s recent attacks on Lebanon, stating that the escalation could lead to a collapse of the ceasefire between the US and Iran. The attacks, which resulted in at least 254 civilian deaths, occurred just days after a two-week truce was announced.

Some lawmakers, including Congressman Dave Min, have urged President Donald Trump to take action to rein in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions. “Netanyahu continues to escalate the war and kill civilians,” Min stated on social media. “It is clear his interests are not aligned with ours.”

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley warned that the conflict will continue if Trump allows Netanyahu to continue bombing Lebanon. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who represents a sizable Lebanese community, emphasized the importance of including Lebanon in the truce.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had previously stated that the ceasefire applies to Lebanon, but Israel contradicted this account and launched an attack on the country just hours later. Iranian officials have also expressed concerns that the ceasefire may not hold if Israel continues to attack Lebanon.

In response to these developments, Vice President JD Vance suggested that a “legitimate misunderstanding” may have caused Iran to believe that Lebanon was included in the ceasefire. However, Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee criticized Vance’s comment, labeling it as a sign of incompetence.

Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari has called on Trump and Vance to pressure Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon, stating that “Lebanon must be included in this fragile ceasefire.” Another Congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, has introduced a resolution to ban US involvement in Israel’s assault on Lebanon.

Source: Al Jazeera