Iran says U.S. must choose ceasefire or war ‘via Israel’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the terms of the ceasefire with Washington are “clear and explicit,” warning that the United States must choose between preserving the truce or allowing what he called continued war “via Israel.”

In a post on X, he said Washington “cannot have both,” as Israeli strikes in Lebanon and renewed tension at sea cast doubt on the survival of the fragile agreement.

Araghchi’s remarks came after Israeli attacks on Lebanon triggered a fresh regional crisis only hours after the ceasefire was announced. He said the world was watching whether the United States would uphold its commitments, linking the fate of the truce directly to Washington’s response to Israel’s military actions beyond Iran itself.

The warning followed reports that Iran again halted passage through the Strait of Hormuz after briefly allowing limited tanker movement under the ceasefire arrangement. Iranian and international reports said the move came in response to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, complicating one of the key conditions attached to the U.S.-Iran de-escalation effort.

U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier said the ceasefire was tied to the reopening of Hormuz, while Vice President JD Vance also signaled that Tehran had agreed to restore access through the waterway. But the renewed closure suggests that even the most immediate terms of the arrangement are already under pressure from events outside the direct U.S.-Iran front.

At the center of the dispute is Lebanon. Trump and Israeli officials have publicly argued that the ceasefire with Iran does not apply to Hezbollah, while Tehran insists the understanding was broader and that attacks on Lebanon amount to a violation. That disagreement has quickly become the biggest test of whether the ceasefire is a real diplomatic opening or only a temporary pause.

The latest exchange shows how narrow the space for diplomacy remains, even with talks still expected. Iran is signaling that any negotiation with Washington depends not only on direct U.S. actions, but also on whether the United States restrains Israel and protects the ceasefire beyond Iran’s own borders.

With Lebanon under renewed attack and Hormuz again disrupted, Araghchi’s message was aimed at raising the cost of ambiguity for Washington. Meanwhile, the ceasefire remains in place formally, but on the ground it is already being tested by the same regional fault lines that nearly destroyed it before talks could even begin.

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