Khaberni - Over the past few hours, Lebanese people have been preoccupied with the fate of their country, extensively sharing on social media the post of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, which confirmed that the temporary ceasefire between Iran and America included Lebanon.
However, their hopes quickly dissipated after Israeli airstrikes rained down on dozens of areas in the capital Beirut, the South, and the Beqaa in eastern Lebanon last Wednesday.
Adding to the confusion, both the US President Donald Trump and his deputy JD Vance later confirmed, along with the White House, that the truce did not cover Lebanon.
"Agreed upon"
On the other hand, an informed official revealed that the White House had indeed reviewed the post of the Pakistani Prime Minister and agreed upon it before it was published on his X account.
Meanwhile, a White House official denied that Trump was the one who wrote the statement, after some observers on social media speculated about it, according to the "New York Times".
The truce between Iran and the United States seemed on the verge of breaking down last Wednesday evening, with Tehran threatening to resume attacks following the deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Especially after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that a ceasefire in Lebanon was "one of the fundamental conditions" in Tehran's ten-point plan, which forms the basis of the truce with the United States, according to what the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) reported.
"That's their choice"
Meanwhile, the US Vice President urged the Iranian side not to allow the ceasefire agreement to collapse due to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. He told reporters, "If Iran wants these negotiations to fail... because of Lebanon, which has nothing to do with it and which the United States has never said was part of the ceasefire, ultimately, that is their choice."
It's worth noting that the Pakistani Prime Minister had announced in a post on X early yesterday morning that the ceasefire was in effect "everywhere", including Lebanon.
The Pakistani authorities have declared a public holiday for two days starting today, Thursday, on the eve of talks scheduled between the United States and Iran in the capital.
However, the reason for the holiday was not mentioned in the notice issued on Wednesday evening by the Islamabad District Management, although the capital authorities often announce holidays or restrictions for security reasons before high-level diplomatic events. The Deputy Commissioner's office advised in a post on X that "essential services will remain open," urging residents to "plan their activities accordingly". Offices providing essential services, including police, hospitals, and electricity and gas companies, will remain open.
The American and Iranian delegations are expected to arrive in Islamabad this evening, with Vance leading his country's delegation, and Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, leading Tehran's delegation in the anticipated negotiations.
