Middle East

The IDF added that overnight strikes targeted two key crossings used by Hezbollah operatives to move between areas north and south of the Litani River and transfer weapons.

Trump added that he thinks it is unlikely the deal will not be complied with, but if not, then the "Shootin' Starts, bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before," he wrote.

IDF kills Hezbollah chief's secretary • US military to stay in region until ceasefire complied with • Israeli arrested in Iranian plot to assassinate former PM Bennett

Netanyahu made a "hard sell" for attacking Iran, the report claimed, adding that he pitched a number of options for a new Iranian leader who would take over when the current regime fell.

Iranian and US officials are expected to hold talks on Friday to discuss a long-term settlement after the longtime foes agreed on a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire to suspend a six-week-old war.

Vance added that Israel's actions were not because Lebanon was included in the ceasefire. "The Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn't," he clarified.

Pakistan's effort involved direct contact with top officials on all sides, with a Pakistani source saying the hardest part of the process was convincing Iran to accept a truce without preconditions.

Araghchi claimed that the terms of the ceasefire explicitly outline Lebanon's inclusion in the deal, a claim that US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have denied.

Pahlavi cast the ceasefire not as a reprieve for the regime, but as proof that it had already suffered a major defeat.

The terms of the Iranian-released plan, according to a New York Times report citing a US official, do not match those seen by the president.