Israel strikes Lebanon without warning, hours after Iran ceasefire announced

[0:00] And we're joined now by NewsHour special correspondents Reza Sayah in Tehran [0:04] and Simona Fultin in Beirut. Reza, we'll start with you. We're seeing reports of air defense [0:08] systems going off in Tehran tonight, and Iran says it may re-enter the conflict following [0:14] Israeli strikes in Lebanon. What are you hearing on the ground right now? [0:17] Yeah, this ceasefire agreement is not even 24 hours old, and there's signs that it's falling [0:23] apart. Iranian state media reporting that Tehran is prepared to exit the ceasefire [0:28] agreement if Israel continues its bombing, its airstrikes, targeting locations in Lebanon. [0:35] And seemingly, Tehran has taken a couple of steps in doing that. They're once again shutting [0:42] down the Strait of Hormuz, and according to state media, the Revolutionary Guard launching [0:46] a number of missiles targeting locations in the Gulf. Mohamed Bahir Qalibov, he's the speaker [0:53] of Iran's parliament. He accused Washington's partner, Israel, of violating the ceasefire [0:58] agreement by attacking locations in Israel and launching drones into Iranian airspace around [1:05] 8 p.m. local time here in Tehran. Once again, Tehran's air defense system activated. We heard [1:11] that familiar volley of anti-aircraft fire in the skies, usually an indication that the drone is up [1:18] above Abbas Adolf, the foreign minister here in Iran, with a message to Washington saying the United [1:24] States has a choice to either abide by the agreement or choose to continue this war through Israel. [1:31] And Reza, there also appears to be a major gap on the nuclear issue. President Trump says there [1:36] will be no uranium enrichment. Iranian officials insist they have that right. How wide is the divide [1:43] between the two sides at this point in this fragile ceasefire? Yeah, there are many gaps. These two [1:49] sides haven't even sat down to begin negotiations, and there's indications that there's lots of [1:54] confusion. You look at the idea of uranium enrichment, the White House explicitly saying that Iran cannot [2:02] enrich uranium. That's one of Tehran's conditions. They believe that a peaceful nuclear program is [2:08] their right. And you look at the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is demanding a new protocol to ensure safe [2:13] passage, saying they want to charge fees for ships and tankers. No indication that Washington is going [2:19] to accept that. And you know, look at Washington's other demands for Iran to cut ties with proxies to [2:25] curtail its ballistic missile program. Tehran's demands for the U.S. to get rid of its troops from the [2:30] region and end sanctions. Lots of demands, no indication of any compromise. [2:36] And, Simona, based on your reporting, what more do we know about the Israeli strikes in Lebanon today [2:42] and their impact? Well, this was a massive attack by Israel on Lebanon. Unlike anything we've really [2:49] seen over the past month or during the previous war back in 2024, there was no prior warning given by [2:56] the IDF, which means that civilians didn't have the chance to get to safety, which is why we are seeing [3:01] this high and still rising death toll with more than 200 people killed, hundreds injured, [3:07] in this sweeping bombardment of densely populated urban areas, not just here in the capital, Beirut, [3:13] but also in the south and east of the country. The IDF says it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure [3:18] and fighters, which it said had moved outside of Hezbollah's typical areas of control. [3:24] But what we've really seen are horrific scenes of people, including children, being pulled from the [3:29] rubble of residential buildings, grocery stores, shops, pharmacies, and bakeries. [3:34] So what this escalation has really done is inflict a very heavy civilian toll and saw panic and chaos [3:41] among a traumatized population on a day when many had hoped that a ceasefire was on the horizon. [3:46] And, Simona, the president told our Liz Landers on the phone this morning that Lebanon is not part [3:51] of the ceasefire agreement. What does that mean for the situation there? [3:55] Well, Israel has said that it will continue to strike Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat [4:00] in what increasingly sounds like an open-ended war. Let's remember that the IDF has never been able [4:05] to defeat Hezbollah militarily in the previous wars and occupations. Now, on top of that, the IDF [4:11] appears to have broadened its targets to include Hezbollah's political, financial, as well as media [4:18] institutions, institutions that are considered legal here in Lebanon, and the attacks on which [4:23] international rights groups have called war crimes. The IDF also said that it wants to clear [4:28] southern Lebanon of all Hezbollah supporters who still constitute a significant share of Shia Muslims [4:35] here in Lebanon. So all of this really raises the question, at which point would the IDF consider [4:41] Hezbollah defeated? Because clearly it's no longer just about the weapons, but also about the organization [4:46] and its constituents and the ideology. [4:49] Simona Fultin in Beirut and Reza Sayah in Tehran for us tonight. Our thanks to you both. [4:54] Support journalism you trust. Support PBS News. Donate now, or even better, start a monthly contribution today.