US Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media before boarding Air Force Two to return to Washington DC, after the White House announced he would be leading the US delegation in upcoming peace talks with Iran, at the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary. AFP
"I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn't. We never made that promise," Vance said as he left Hungary.
"The Israelis... have actually offered to be, frankly, to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon, because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful," Vance said.
Vance's statements came as the Israeli occupation army launched 130 airstrikes on Beirut and the rest of Lebanon on Wednesday, killing 182 and wounding 890, with the casualty figures climbing, in what Lebanese officials described as "full-fledged war crimes," and a "war of extermination" against the Lebanese people.
Earlier Wednesday, Israeli PM Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump claimed the Iran war truce does not include Lebanon.
However, in an interview with CNN, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States confirmed that, based on understandings reached at the highest levels of government, Lebanon is included in the ceasefire agreement brokered between the United States and Iran.
Iran's parliament speaker said Wednesday that a ceasefire and talks with the United States were "unreasonable" because of violations of Tehran's 10-point truce plan, including continued attacks in Lebanon, a drone entering Iranian airspace, and a denial of the country's right to enrichment.
"The deep historical distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of all forms of commitments -- a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a statement posted on X, listing three violations of the Iranian proposal.
"Now, the very 'workable basis on which to negotiate' has been openly and clearly violated, even before the negotiations began. In such (a) situation, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable."
Vance is due to lead a negotiating team, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, to Islamabad for "in person" talks with Iran on Saturday, the White House said earlier.
Earlier in the day, Iran shut the strategic Strait of Hormuz after it said that the US and Israel had violated the terms of the deal by launching drones against the country, and after the Israelis launched massive airstrikes on Lebanon.
Iranian authorities said tanker traffic had now been halted, with Fars news agency reporting that two oil tankers had passed earlier on Wednesday with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Council's (IRGC) permission before movements were stopped.
Tehran said it would offer safe passage in coordination with its armed forces, but warned that any vessel attempting to transit without approval would be “targeted and destroyed."
"If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart... over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that's ultimately their choice."
The US vice president warned that President Donald Trump expected Iran to keep its promise to open the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic.
"Frankly, if they break their end of the bargain, then they're going to see some serious consequences," Vance added.
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