Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie said Wednesday that Israel's continued occupation in Lebanon violates the memorandum of understanding with the United States, and that Tehran will take the necessary measures in response, according to a statement from his office.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie stated Wednesday evening (Jun 17) that the continued presence of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon violates the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States, and warned that Tehran will take "the necessary measures" in response. The statement, carried on official Iranian channels, was first reported by Abu Ali Express before 21:00 Jerusalem. It is Baghaie's third public statement on the Lebanon-MoU linkage since Sunday, and comes hours after he said Tehran is considering having the MoU signed by the presidents of both countries — a posture previously reported by The Zioneer at 20:58 Jerusalem.
Baghaie's latest warning builds directly on statements the desk has tracked since Sunday. On Mon Jun 15 at 19:42 Jerusalem, the same spokesman warned that the US must enforce Lebanon ceasefire obligations from the MoU, and that any violation would trigger countermeasures. On Tue Jun 16 at 14:57 Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued presence in occupied territories breaches the MoU — a position echoed by another minister at 21:17 Jerusalem, who conditioned a war-ending deal on Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The thread thus reflects an accelerating Iranian campaign to embed the Lebanon issue as a non-negotiable pillar of the MoU framework, moving from general demands to explicit ultimatums.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, this position has been consistent. On Jun 11, a member of the Iranian negotiating team said Iran would not accept IDF forces remaining in southern Lebanon. On Jun 15 at 15:03 Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry said any sustainable agreement must include guarantees for Lebanon's security and territorial integrity. The desk has also reported that Araghchi on Tuesday framed the US and Israel as one side of the MoU, with Iran and Hezbollah representing the other — language that contradicts Israeli briefings that Israel will not withdraw from security zones it has established.
What remains open in Baghaie's latest statement is the specific nature of the "necessary measures" — whether diplomatic escalation, a freeze in talks, or action through proxies — and whether the US views this as a repudiation of the emerging framework or routine positional signaling.
4 developments
- StrongIran warns US must enforce Lebanon ceasefire obligations from MoU
- StrongIran's Araghchi: any Israeli strike on Lebanon or remaining in occupied lands breaches MoU
- ConfirmedIDF continues strikes in southern Lebanon despite announced agreement
- DevelopingIran says it will not accept Israeli forces remaining in southern Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake