JERUSALEM — Israeli warplanes hit three Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after President Trump explicitly banned further Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory.

The strikes landed near Khiam and Marjayoun villages at dawn. Israel invoked self-defense. Hezbollah immediately called Tehran.

Trump's prohibition ignored

The Israeli military said Hezbollah fighters had approached the "yellow line" — the disputed buffer zone separating Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of southern Lebanon. Air strikes followed. Then artillery.

"The IDF will not allow harm to Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers," the military said, invoking what it called "necessary measures in self-defense."

But the timing creates a direct challenge to Trump's Friday declaration on Truth Social: "Israel is prohibited from bombing Lebanon any longer."

Israeli officials argue the ceasefire agreement permits defensive action. That interpretation now faces its first test under a president who has shown little patience for legal parsing.

The strikes hit at 6:47 AM local time. Three positions. No casualties reported yet.

Hezbollah calls Iran immediately

Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of parliament, said the group contacted Iranian leadership within hours of the strikes.

"We contacted the leadership in Iran and informed them of Israeli violations," Fadlallah said from Beirut.

The Iranian notification matters more now. Since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's death in February airstrikes, his son Mojtaba has consolidated power partly by positioning Iran as Hezbollah's ultimate protector. A formal complaint from Hezbollah gives Tehran justification for response.

Iranian officials have not commented publicly. But IRGC commanders have been looking for ways to test Trump's Lebanon commitment without triggering broader war.

The call went through diplomatic channels to Tehran within two hours of the strikes, according to Lebanese officials.

Pentagon plans disrupted

Trump's Lebanon prohibition was part of a broader strategy separating the Iranian nuclear crisis from proxy conflicts. The president has signaled he wants to "deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner" — language suggesting direct American involvement.

That approach requires keeping Israel out of Lebanon while the US develops its own Hezbollah pressure campaign. Saturday's strikes complicate that timeline.

Pentagon officials have been developing options for pressuring Hezbollah without Israeli military action. Those plans assumed Israeli restraint. Wrong assumption.

The strikes also test whether Trump will enforce his prohibition with consequences. Previous presidents made similar declarations, then looked away when Israel claimed self-defense.

Buffer zone disputes

The "yellow line" that triggered Saturday's incident represents the most volatile part of the ceasefire arrangement. Israeli forces control a strip of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah fighters are supposed to remain north of the buffer zone.

But the line's exact coordinates remain disputed.

Lebanese officials say Israel has expanded the buffer zone beyond ceasefire specifications. Israeli commanders say Hezbollah fighters regularly probe the boundaries. Both are probably right.

Colonel David Hagari, an IDF spokesman, said Saturday's targets were "clear violations" of ceasefire terms. He did not specify how close Hezbollah fighters came to Israeli positions or whether they carried weapons.

Similar incidents have occurred three times since the ceasefire took effect on April 7. This one happened under Trump's explicit prohibition.

Iran's domestic calculation

For Tehran, the Hezbollah complaint creates opportunity to pressure Trump without direct confrontation. Iranian officials can argue Israeli violations justify their own ceasefire violations — while claiming they only respond to aggression.

The timing helps Iran domestically. Mojtaba Khamenei has faced criticism from hardliners who say he has been too passive since taking power. A strong response to Israeli actions in Lebanon could consolidate his position.

IRGC commanders have been advocating for renewed weapons shipments to Hezbollah, arguing Israeli actions prove the ceasefire is meaningless. Saturday's strikes give them ammunition.

The new Supreme Leader needs to look strong. This helps.

Next 48 hours critical

Trump's response will determine whether Saturday's strikes become precedent or isolated incident. The president has options: public criticism of Israel, private warnings, or ignoring the strikes while maintaining the general prohibition.

Israeli officials are watching for Washington signals. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is scheduled to speak with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Sunday — a call planned before Saturday's strikes but now carrying additional weight.

The ceasefire agreement includes a violation mechanism: a joint committee with American, Lebanese, and Israeli representatives. That committee has not convened since the ceasefire took effect.

Hezbollah's next move depends partly on Iranian guidance. The group has avoided direct retaliation for previous Israeli strikes, but Trump's prohibition changes the political calculation.

The president visits Jerusalem on April 24 for Netanyahu meetings. Saturday's strikes will now dominate that agenda.