Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, on Thursday said Tel Aviv’s military actions in Lebanon are aimed at eliminating Hezbollah’s presence in the south, even as Israel supports ongoing ceasefire talks with Iran.
Speaking to ANI, Azar drew a clear line between Israel’s operations in Lebanon and its position on Iran, stressing that both tracks are being handled differently.
The remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon despite a temporary ceasefire arrangement between the United States and Iran. The situation has raised concerns over whether the fragile truce could hold if tensions spill over.
‘We have the right to defend ourselves’: Israel on Lebanon strikes
Azar said Israel’s objective in Lebanon remains unchanged. “It has nothing to do with the operation in Iran. When it comes to Lebanon, as I said, we have to achieve a situation in which southern Lebanon will be cleaned from Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure. That’s the responsibility of the Lebanese government. When it comes to Iran, we hope that this negotiation will lead to the conditions that are part of the 15-point plan. That means no military nuclear capabilities on Iranian soil, curbing their ballistic missile program and a full stop to the proliferation of terror in the region,” he told ANI.
He added that Israel expects Beirut to act decisively. Referring to recent operations, Azar said the Israeli air force carried out a “massive” strike, claiming that more than 250 Hezbollah fighters were targeted across Lebanon.
“We have the right to defend ourselves on our northern border from the attacks of Hezbollah. In the last few hours, the Israeli air force has conducted a massive operation. We removed more than 250 Hezbollah terrorists all around Lebanon. We are very clear that the terms of the ceasefire that were put forward last year have to be retained. We can’t agree to the presence of Hezbollah south of the Litani. They have to be disarmed. And we expect the Lebanese government to play a much more significant role, not just by talking, but also by removing the capabilities of Hezbollah so we can be sure that our communities in the north won’t be attacked again,” he added.
Support for Iran ceasefire, focus on nuclear and missile curbs
On Iran, Azar struck a more hopeful note, backing the ceasefire and the negotiations led by the United States.
He said the talks are based on a US-led 15-point framework, which includes ending Iran’s military nuclear ambitions, limiting its ballistic missile programme, and stopping what he described as the spread of terror in the region.
“We officially declared that we support this ceasefire, and there are going to be negotiations led by the United States. I think it’s a great sign…In the framework of the ceasefire, they (Iran) have agreed to remove this travesty of trying to block international waterways. So I think that we are on a good track. The basis for the negotiations is the 15-point plan of the United States, and we are hopeful that after we achieve this removal of two existential threats, the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile production, that now that we have debilitated the regime, they will finally change course and agree to a path that leads to permanent peace in our region.”
Ceasefire under strain as tensions rise
The comments come after Iran accused Israel of undermining the ceasefire, warning that continued strikes in Lebanon could derail the agreement and trigger fresh instability in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have maintained that Lebanon is not covered under the current ceasefire arrangement.