U.S. Tells Iran Israel Will Not Escalate Strikes in Lebanon

The Trump administration has sent an official message to Iran saying Israel does not plan to widen its attacks in Lebanon, CNN reported on Friday, despite what Israel says are ceasefire violations by Hezbollah. The report says the American message was meant to clarify Israel’s current posture and signal that no further escalation is planned for now.

An American official said the stance reflects a deliberate Israeli decision. “Hezbollah violated the ceasefire. Israel agreed to hold back on that, and this message was passed to Tehran,” the official said. He added that the continuation of calm now depends entirely on the Lebanese militant group: “At this point, it depends on Hezbollah.”

The report came as the IDF said it had cleared for publication that Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimchon, commander of Battalion 52 in the 401st Brigade, was killed overnight in combat in southern Lebanon. He was one of four Israeli soldiers killed overnight when a tank was hit during operational activity in the area.

The names of the three other fallen soldiers were still under military censorship and had not yet been released. The developments underscore the fragile situation along the Lebanon front, where the ceasefire remains formally in place but tensions persist.