Iranian FM: Israeli attack on Lebanon would breach deal with U.S.
by Vaughn Cockayne · The Washington TimesIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday said continued Israeli attacks or occupation in Lebanon would constitute a violation of the recently announced memorandum of understanding with the U.S.
In remarks before diplomats in Tehran, Mr. Araghchi said Iran has considered a full ceasefire in Lebanon to be a prerequisite for ending the war from the beginning.
He warned that none of the deal’s provisions would be realized if Israel continues to attack Hezbollah.
The exact text of the agreement has not been released, but reports indicate that the deal extends the ceasefire by 60 days and allows for talks to take place during that time.
“In the first stage, the most important development is the declaration of the end of the war. Based on the decision we made, the end of the war was announced on Monday morning, once the final agreement was reached — Monday, Tehran time, of course. However, the memorandum will officially enter into force on Friday,” Mr. Araghchi said.
His comments come as Israel publicly refuses to back down in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Monday that the Israel Defense Forces would remain in southern Lebanon despite anything in the preliminary agreement.
While negotiations took place the past month, Iran has repeatedly said Israel’s offensive operations in Lebanon violated the ceasefire. After Israeli strikes hit the suburbs of Beirut last week, Tehran launched counterattacks at Israel.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif on Sunday said the preliminary agreement between the U.S. and Iran called for a halt to hostilities on all fronts, “including Lebanon,” but conflicting interpretations have generated confusion.
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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee seemed to imply that the agreement does not include a halt to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah.
“Fortunately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear that Iran & Hezbollah aren’t linked in a deal,” he wrote on X. “Israel doesn’t need Iran’s permission to defend itself. The tether of terror must end.”
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Vaughn Cockayne
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