Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that any Israeli military strike on Lebanon now constitutes a violation of the memorandum of understanding with the United States. He added that a new round of US-Iran talks will begin Friday in Switzerland, and linked ending the war to what he called ending the 'Israeli occupation' in Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday morning that any Israeli military strike on Lebanon now constitutes a violation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States. He added that a new round of US-Iran talks will begin Friday in Switzerland, and linked ending the war to what he called ending the 'Israeli occupation' in Lebanon. The remarks were first reported by Israeli outlets N12 and Yediot Aharonot at 10:27 Jerusalem, and have not been independently confirmed by Israeli or US officials.
This statement is the latest in a rapid-fire sequence of Araghchi's announcements Tuesday. At 10:27, N12 and Yediot Aharonot both reported his warning that any Israeli strike or continued occupation in Lebanon violates the ceasefire agreement. Minutes later, an Iranian source amplified the warning to specify any future strike as a MoU breach. By 10:40 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported Araghchi's claim that a Lebanon ceasefire would begin Friday. The current dispatch consolidates that timeline: the new talks are set for Friday in Switzerland, and the ceasefire and nuclear tracks are now explicitly merged in Iran's public position. The earlier reports cited Israeli news outlets; the latest is attributed to an Iranian source.
As The Zioneer reported on Monday (June 15), Araghchi told the foreign ministers of Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt that the US bears responsibility for implementing the agreement, and called on Israel to halt strikes in Lebanon. The same day, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman warned that any violation of MoU commitments would draw countermeasures, emphasizing that the war in Lebanon appears multiple times in the text. Over the past week, Araghchi has consistently framed the emerging US-Iran understanding as covering regional fronts beyond the nuclear issue, with Lebanon as the priority, and has set an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as a condition for signing the MoU.
What remains open: no Israeli or US official has confirmed the existence of any ceasefire or withdrawal obligations linked to the MoU, and no confirmation has been received from either government regarding the new talks in Switzerland. Araghchi's claim that a Lebanon ceasefire will begin Friday also remains unverified by any third party.
6 developments
- DevelopingIranian FM Araghchi discusses US-Iran MOU with Russian counterpart Lavrov, urges halt to Israeli strikes on Lebanon
- DevelopingIran's Foreign Ministry accuses Israel of coordinating Lebanon strikes with US, in violation of ceasefire
- StrongIran warns it will respond if Israel violates MoU by attacking Lebanon, Hezbollah
- StrongIran's Araghchi tells Turkey, Iraq, Egypt: US responsible for enforcing deal, Israel must halt Lebanon strikes
Source and signal
- Open-source intake