US and Iran may have to talk 'as guns are firing'
The US was racing to salvage a ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday that appeared to collapse as a result of deadly Israeli attacks on Lebanon and an unclaimed strike on an energy facility on Iran’s Lavan Island.
The mismatch between the White House’s statements and developments on the ground in the Middle East summed up much of the day.
In effect, the Trump administration and Iran appeared to be working through what they had agreed to under Pakistani mediation on Tuesday in real time, with comments to reporters and social media posts.
The Mediterranean country on Wednesday faced the most punishing air strikes since the start of the conflict, with more than 250 people killed and more than 700 wounded, according to Lebanon’s state-run civil defence service.
Iranian speaker of parliament Bagher Ghalibaf released a three-point statement on Wednesday, noting violations of the ceasefire, with Lebanon at the top of the list.
US Vice President JD Vance told reporters the flash point was a result of a “legitimate misunderstanding” between the two sides.
“The Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn't. We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case,” Vance said, as he wrapped up a trip to Hungary. He added that Israel had agreed to “check themselves a little bit” in Lebanon to help the negotiations.
Read more: US and Iran may have to talk 'as guns are firing'