UK Calls for Lebanon to Be Included in Middle East Ceasefire

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called on Thursday to extend the temporary ceasefire in the Middle East to include Lebanon, while expressing her “shock” at the recent Israeli attack on Beirut. In a press statement, Cooper said her country was deeply concerned about the escalating attacks in Lebanon amid the country’s severe humanitarian crisis and the massive displacement of its population. She stressed that these conditions made the United Kingdom strongly advocate for extending the ceasefire to cover Lebanon, and in the same context called for preserving the truce with Iran and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a vital artery for the global economy. Meanwhile, Cooper defended her country’s role in efforts to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, citing her continuous communications with regional actors and her American counterpart, Mark Rubio. She emphasized the special nature of UK-US relations despite differing views on the war, adding that Britain had committed to taking a clear defensive stance to protect its partners and interests in the region.