Tel Aviv [Israel], April 11 (ANI): Former Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy has warned that the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran is on the verge of collapse due to Tehran's refusal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking with ANI, Levy characterized Iran's actions as 'maritime piracy,' accusing the Islamic Republic of holding the global economy hostage to blackmail the international community.

According to Levy, the cornerstone of the diplomatic agreement was the unhindered passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz--a promise he claims Iran has already broken.

'The US-Iran ceasefire is fragile because the Islamic Republic is refusing to open the Strait of Hormuz like it has promised. It is continuing to act like a pirate on the high seas, trapping ships in the Strait of Hormuz, not letting them in or out, and holding the whole global economy hostage to try to subject the United States and the whole world to blackmail. Iran must open the Strait of Hormuz. That blockade is a violation of international law and completely unacceptable,' he said.

Levy was emphatic that the current US-Iran understanding does not protect Hezbollah in Lebanon. He asserted that Israel remains a sovereign state and will not allow others to negotiate its security.

Following a month in which Hezbollah fired 7,000 missiles, rockets, and drones--including a ballistic missile targeting Tel Aviv--Levy maintained that military action is necessary to protect northern Israeli villages.

'Lebanon is not covered by this ceasefire. The United States has been absolutely clear; it didn't promise that Israel would leave Hezbollah alone. Indians will appreciate that Israel is a sovereign state. No one is going to negotiate matters of war and peace on our behalf. Israel is fighting Hezbollah now because Iran's proxy army in Lebanon has fired 7,000 missiles, rockets, and drones at Israel in the last month. I woke up at two o'clock in the morning because they fired a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv. Israel is determined to push away the threat of Hezbollah from our villages on the northern border where our families are sitting ducks,' he said.

In a significant diplomatic shift, Levy revealed that Israel has signaled a desire for direct peace talks with the Lebanese government, aiming to dismantle Hezbollah together rather than accepting a 'simple ceasefire' that leaves the militia intact.

'I'm sure that India would not tolerate a foreign-backed terrorist organization on its borders firing missiles and drones, forcing people out of their homes. Israel won't accept it either. It has signaled it wants direct peace talks with Lebanon. That is a very big development. Israel is saying no to a simple ceasefire that leaves Hezbollah in place and condemns us to more conflict, but yes to full peace talks that allow us to dismantle Hezbollah together,' he said.

The ultimate goal, per Levy, is for Lebanon to follow the path of the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco by normalizing relations and ending the 'proxy army' era.

'Israel and Lebanon should have peace. Every world leader should be demanding that Lebanon recognize Israel, recognize the border, join the Abraham Accords, and stop allowing Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist proxy army, to attack Israeli families from its soil. Israel is determined to push away the threat of Hezbollah. It will not allow Lebanon to use the promise of talks to buy time, to drag its feet, or to allow Hezbollah to keep attacking Israeli families,' he said.

Levy further said, 'It wants a peace framework that will allow us to tackle Hezbollah together. It is Israel's military action against Hezbollah that is giving the Lebanese government both the urgency and the opportunity to confront Hezbollah, which is something that it has been chickening out of doing for the last 20 years. I hope the Lebanese government will take up Israel's offer for direct peace talks, establish direct normal relations, and then work together with Israel to dismantle this proxy army that is the common enemy of both of us.'

Levy said that Israel wants normalization with Lebanon and the neutralization of Hezbollah at any cost. It wants peaceful relations with its neighbour.

'Israel wants normal, peaceful relations with a neighbor that doesn't allow its territory to be used for attacks against us. We want a peaceful border, normal relations with the Lebanese government, and no rocket attacks from Lebanese territory. The endgame is to expand the circle of peace in the whole region. Israel has already normalized relations with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco as part of the Abraham Accords. It wants the whole Arab world to join those agreements and make peace,' he said.

Israel is seeking a comprehensive framework to address Iran's nuclear program, missile technology, and proxy armies.

'That will require the Lebanese government to stop the armed attacks from its territory. Israel cannot allow the families in the villages on the border to be sitting ducks for missile attacks where they have zero warning time to run for shelter because Iran's terrorist proxies keep firing missiles and drones at their homes,' he said.

Levy said that things have reached this point because Lebanese government has failed to tackle the Hezbollah.

'Israel is fighting against Hezbollah because Hezbollah is firing missiles, drones, and rockets at Israeli families, and Lebanon has done nothing to stop it. It's really not that complicated. Israel wants security for the people of northern Israel so families can sleep safely in their homes without having Iranian-backed jihadists attacking us. It is a tragedy that we have reached this point because the Lebanese government, for a quarter of a century, has failed to confront Hezbollah,' he said.

Levy recounted that a UN resolution from 2006 required Lebanon to dismantle the Hezbollah.

'The 2006 war ended with a UN resolution requiring Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah. It didn't do that, and Hezbollah built a NATO-sized invasion force on Israel's border. After the October 7 massacre, it joined Hamas's war against Israel. The 2024 war ended with a commitment that Lebanon would dismantle Hezbollah. It didn't do that, and Hezbollah went back to attacking Israeli families. Now Israelis are having to send our finest sons into battle against Hezbollah to clean up Lebanon's mess because Lebanon allowed its territory to be used by a terrorist militia for attacks against our families,' he said.

Levy framed the current conflict as a 'tragic' necessity caused by the Lebanese government's 20-year failure to comply with UN resolutions to disarm Hezbollah.

'The situation in Lebanon is very sad and tragic. It's a shame we've come to this because the UN has so completely failed to address the threat of Hezbollah. I hope that the Lebanese government takes this issue seriously and dismantles Hezbollah immediately so that it stops threatening Israeli families and we can finally move forward towards peace in the region,' he said.

Levy noted that Israel stands ready as a 'firm American ally' to stop Iranian aggression, which he claims now threatens the safety of cities across the entire Middle East, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

'Israel says that it supports efforts to reach a deal that will address the triple threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran: the missiles, the nuclear program, and the terrorist proxies. That is a top priority, not just for Israel, but for all the Gulf countries that have been attacked with drones and ballistic missiles in the last month and do not want a simple ceasefire that leaves the Iranian regime free to bomb Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and all the cities in the Middle East,' he said.

As delegations prepare to meet in Islamabad for ceasefire talks, Levy urged the United States to maintain a 'credible military threat.'

'If these peace talks collapse because the Iranian regime is committed to being the world's number one state sponsor of terror and an aggressor in the region, it's important that the United States keep the threat of renewed military action on the table to fight Iranian aggression. Israel will, of course, be willing to act as a firm American ally in doing its part to stop those Iranian attacks against the whole of West Asia,' he said. (ANI)