Iran slams Israeli strikes in Lebanon as ‘ceasefire violation’

TEHRAN: Iran on Friday condemned strikes by its arch-foe Israel on southern Lebanon, a stronghold of its close ally Hezbollah.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the strikes were a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” in a statement.

Lebanon said on Thursday that Israel had killed one person and wounded seven, while the Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah and allied groups.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the attacks had struck civilian facilities and denounced what he described as a breach of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel negotiated last year.

Tehran is Hezbollah’s key backer, but the group has been severely weakened by its most recent hostilities with Israel and the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria who provided an overland link towards Iran.

That has come as a blow to Iran itself, which was also hit by Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities during a 12-day war with Israel this year.

Hezbollah and Israel agreed a truce in November, after more than a year of hostilities that culminated in two months of open war.

Israel has nevertheless repeatedly bombed Lebanese territory.

Baqaei also accused France and the United States – who are guarantors of the truce – of “continued inaction and appeasement” toward Israel over what he called the “repeated violation” of the agreement.