EU’s Kallas Says Israeli Strikes Threaten Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire

(MENAFN) EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas sounded the alarm Thursday, cautioning that continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon are placing the newly brokered US-Iran ceasefire under "severe strain" — threatening a deal many hope will end a war that has already claimed thousands of lives.

Taking to X, the EU's top diplomat issued a pointed call for the truce's reach to be broadened. "The Iran truce should extend to Lebanon," Kallas wrote, in remarks that drew immediate international attention.

While acknowledging that Hezbollah bore responsibility for drawing Lebanon into the broader conflict, Kallas drew a firm line on Israel's conduct, stating that "Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction."

Kallas further stressed that Hezbollah's disarmament — a commitment the group had previously agreed to — remains non-negotiable, and reaffirmed that the EU stands firmly behind Beirut's efforts to enforce that obligation.

The warning comes amid a fresh wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory, arriving just days after Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday. The pause in hostilities was designed to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive agreement to end the war — a conflict initiated by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28 — a confrontation that has since left thousands dead or wounded across the region.

MENAFN09042026000045017169ID1110961587