Israel strikes southern Lebanon, Lebanese leaders lash out at Iran and say their country should not be used as a ‘bargaining chip’
DIBBINE, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanon’s president and prime minister criticized Iran on Friday for opposing the latest ceasefire deal between the Lebanese government and Israel, saying their country should not be used by Tehran as a “bargaining chip” in its talks with Washington.
The comments came as the Israeli military struck multiple parts of southern Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, including one that has sheltered thousands of people displaced by the three-month war between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. The strikes killed nine people in six locations in southern Lebanon, the state news agency reported.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a statement Thursday vowing that “there will be no calm in the region” if Israel doesn’t withdraw its troops from Lebanon. In an interview with CNN, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun responded: “It’s not your job to interfere into our country. I reject the statement totally because our people (are) being killed, our houses being destroyed.”