Korban Zadeh, a member of the Iranian negotiating team, stated that Lebanon is the most important issue in the talks with the United States, and that if an end to the war in Lebanon is not achieved, the negotiations will not continue. His remarks, reported Sunday evening, reinforce Iran's position that a diplomatic resolution requires an end to the conflict in Lebanon.
Korban Zadeh, a member of the Iranian negotiating team, said Sunday evening (reported at 19:38 Jerusalem time) that Lebanon is the most important issue in the talks with the United States, and warned that negotiations will not continue if the war in Lebanon does not end. The statement, attributed to a single source, is the latest in a series of escalating Iranian ultimatums as the diplomatic track in Switzerland continues.
Earlier Sunday (14:11), as The Zioneer reported, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said the talks are focused on monitoring implementation of a memorandum of understanding, and that negotiations on a final agreement cannot begin until five defined articles are fulfilled — especially Article 1 requiring an end to war on all fronts including Lebanon. Two hours later, at 18:52, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran will halt negotiations if Israel does not withdraw from Lebanon, with a separate Iranian source cited by the same agency warning that the talks would be halted absent withdrawal. That thread item was based on a single Iranian source. Zadeh's remark reinforces the same precondition with an explicit threat to halt talks.
The ultimatum follows a week of similar public warnings. On Thursday, June 11, another member of the Iranian team, Hossein Baq, said Iran will not accept or agree to the continued presence of IDF forces in southern Lebanon. On June 16, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called ending the war in Lebanon 'the most important issue' in the emerging MOU with the US, describing the agreement as pitting the US and Israel against Iran and Hezbollah. Across the thread, the demands have remained consistent — Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon — but the delivery has escalated from a precondition to a direct threat to halt the talks.
What remains open: whether the US accepts the linkage as a precondition or presses Iran to separate the Lebanon issue from the nuclear track. The source for Zadeh's statement is a single attributed report; it has not been corroborated by an independent outlet at this time.
6 developments
- DevelopingIran says ceasefire insufficient, won't begin final-deal talks until Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIran delegation threatens to quit negotiations if Israeli strikes on Lebanon continue
- StrongIran conditions war-ending deal on Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIran threatens to blow up agreement unless IDF withdraws from Lebanon by tonight
Source and signal
- Internal intake