Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie said Thursday that the Islamic Republic has demonstrated it does not abandon its friends in any situation, and that the ceasefire and ending the war in Lebanon remain as important for Tehran as for Iran itself, according to the Iranian state outlet Tasnim. Baghaie added that Lebanon is mentioned three times in the first article of the memorandum of understanding with the US, which includes respect for Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated Tehran's position on the Lebanon front as a central pillar of its emerging understanding with Washington. In an interview with the Iranian outlet Tasnim, Esmail Baghaie framed the ceasefire and ending the war in Lebanon as equally important to Iran as to Iran itself—a phrasing that echoes earlier statements by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
He stressed that Lebanon is named three times in the first article of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States, which he says includes a commitment to respect Lebanon's territorial integrity and national sovereignty. The remarks come amid an ongoing diplomatic track in which Iran and the US are reportedly finalizing a broad understanding that also covers the nuclear program and regional fronts.
As The Zioneer reported late Wednesday, Baghaie separately stated that Iranian vessels are entering and leaving ports without problems, which he said means the US has begun fulfilling its commitment to lift the naval blockade. The Thursday statement underscores Tehran's insistence that the Lebanon fight is not separable from the overall deal—a position that has been consistent across multiple Iranian officials in recent weeks.
The claim that Iran 'does not abandon its friends' is a direct reference to Hezbollah, though Baghaie did not name the organization explicitly. The statement remains a single-source Iranian official claim; no independent or Israeli confirmation of the MoU's contents has been published.
2 developments
- StrongIran warns US must enforce Lebanon ceasefire obligations from MoU
- StrongAraghchi vows Iran will 'never leave Lebanon alone'
- StrongIran's Baghaie says continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon violate MoU, warns US
- StrongIran: Deal Must Include Guarantees for Lebanon's Security and Territorial Integrity
Source and signal
- Internal intake