Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie told the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, that the memorandum of understanding with the US stipulates full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and that Israel's commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty is a central element. Baghaie warned that without a complete withdrawal, the MoU would be canceled and subsequent negotiations would not lead to a final agreement. He added that Tehran views the Lebanon file with utmost seriousness, reflected in Lebanon being named three times in the text.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie on Thursday morning reiterated Tehran's position that the memorandum of understanding with the United States requires a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, warning that failure to achieve this would void the agreement. Speaking to the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, Baghaie said the MoU stipulates that "the other side" (Israel) guarantees Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which he interpreted as a complete withdrawal of what he termed "occupation forces" from Lebanese soil.
Baghaie added: "If this does not happen, the memorandum will be canceled and the subsequent negotiations will not reach a final agreement unless the attacks stop completely and the occupation ends." He also stated: "We cannot talk about ending the war as long as parts of Lebanese territory are still under occupation by Israel."
This statement follows a series of similar declarations from Tehran this week. As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday, Iran threatened to cancel the MoU unless Israel fully withdraws from Lebanon. On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued presence in occupied lands breaches the MoU. The Iranian position has consistently linked ending the war in Lebanon to the broader US-Iran agreement, with Baghaie noting that Iran tracked the Lebanon file "very seriously" with the dual goal of a ceasefire and ending the occupation, reflected in Lebanon being mentioned three times in the MoU text.
The Israeli position remains at odds with Iran's demands. Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated Israel will not withdraw from security zones it has established in Lebanon, and Israeli briefings have maintained that significant gaps remain between the parties regarding any final agreement.
2 developments
- StrongIran warns US must enforce Lebanon ceasefire obligations from MoU
- StrongAraghchi says Lebanon war end inseparable from Iran's, demands full Israeli withdrawal
- StrongIran conditions war-ending deal on Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIran: US must enforce Israeli compliance with agreement; 60-day nuclear talks set
Source and signal
- Internal intake