IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that he approved attack plans for Iran and Lebanon. The statement was made in the middle of a two-week ceasefire. 

On Wednesday, Zamir said he “approved plans for the continuation [of the war] – both in Lebanon and in Iran.” Israel, the US, and Iran are currently in an uneasy truce as Washington and Tehran attempt to broker a deal to end the conflict. 

The ceasefire, which came into effect last week, was intended to cover all warring parties in the Middle East, including Lebanon. However, after agreeing to the truce, Washington and Tel Aviv claimed that the ceasefire did not cover Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. 

Following the announcement of the truce, Israel ramped up military operations in Lebanon. “We are capturing and clearing key areas [in Lebanon] and removing threats from the northern settlements,” Zamir said. 

Hezbollah said that Tehran is pressuring Washington to force Tel Aviv to implement the ceasefire in Lebanon. 

Pakistan is currently relaying messages between US and Iranian official attempted to work out a deal before the ceasefire expires. Zamir said any deal must not allow Tehran to have any victories. “Now we must not allow them any achievements on the nuclear issue, in Hormuz and in the other matters on the table,” he added. “We know how to scramble them for an immediate powerful strike.”

Iran has significantly improved its strategic position since the start of the conflict. Many US bases in the Middle East have been destroyed, Israel is running out of interceptors at a faster pace than Iran is depleting its stockpile of missiles, and Tehran now controls the Strait of Hormuz.