Lebanon must be included in US-Iran ceasefire deal, Yvette Cooper to say | US-Israel war on Iran
The British foreign secretary will say Lebanon should be included in the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran as a two-week pause in the conflict hangs in the balance.
Speaking at an event at Mansion House in London, Yvette Cooper is expected to say there should be “no return to conflict” following the ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump late on Tuesday.
Despite the announcement, Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon, killing at least 254 people and prompting Iran to once again halt the passage of oil tankers through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Hopes that Israel would immediately stop hitting targets in Lebanon were dashed when US vice president JD Vance insisted the country was not part of the ceasefire agreement with Iran.
Speaking in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, Vance said: “I think this stems from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought the ceasefire would include Lebanon, but it didn’t. We never promised that, we never stated that it would happen that way.”
But in his speech at the Madam Mayor’s Easter Banquet on Thursday, Cooper will say Lebanon should be included in the ceasefire.
He will say: “There is much work to be done, and we support negotiations: progress must be made; there must be no return to hostilities; Lebanon must be included in the ceasefire; there must be no further threat from Iran to its neighbors; and most importantly, the Strait of Hormuz must be fully reopened.”
“It’s more than 3,000 miles from here, but the deliberate obstruction of this critical artery of the global economy is affecting home mortgage rates, oil and food prices right here. Every country on every continent has felt these effects.”
“That’s why we’re working to support a rapid resolution of this conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran closed the important waterway as a transit route in response to US and Israeli attacks that began in late February. Global fuel and fertilizer prices have risen sharply since then, putting pressure on household budgets.
In his address to city leaders, Cooper will emphasize the importance of ensuring the critical shipping route remains open.
He will say: “Fertilizer for Africa, liquid natural gas for Asia, jet fuel for the world; the trade route of Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Oman has been hijacked by Iran to hold the global economy hostage.
“No country can close these routes; this is contrary to the fundamental principles of maritime law.”
He will add: “We know more than ever that freedom of navigation underpins global trade. It matters for every sea, ocean and strait. Every country has a stake in this. Every sector is affected.”
“We must immediately begin to reactivate international shipping by supporting the International Maritime Organization’s recommendations to move stranded ships and 20,000 stranded sailors in the strait, a first step that is both humanitarian and economic. And then the full and unconditional reopening of the strait must be a central part not only of the current ceasefire but of the long-term future of the region.”
