Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, head of Iran's negotiating team, said Tuesday that the first article of the memorandum of understanding commits the United States to ending the war in Lebanon, enabling the return of displaced residents and restoring Lebanese sovereignty. Qalibaf called it a 'very great victory' and said Tehran is working to ensure full implementation of the deal, while warning Iran is prepared for war if commitments are not met in talks.
At 15:01 Jerusalem on Tuesday, Iran’s negotiating team head Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf publicly asserted that the first article of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding commits the United States to ending the war in Lebanon, restoring sovereignty, and enabling the return of displaced residents. Qalibaf called it a 'very great victory' and said Tehran is working to ensure full implementation, while warning that Iran is prepared for war if commitments are not met — an escalation of the threat level from earlier statements.
The thread began at 15:01 Jerusalem on Tuesday, when an Iranian Foreign Ministry source — cited via journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12) — first claimed the US explicitly committed to ending the fighting in Lebanon. Within the same minute, Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf reiterated the claim and specified that articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11 of the MoU must be implemented before talks resume. Another official source then said Tehran is monitoring implementation. The shift from a single newsroom source to the head of the negotiating team represents a material increase in authoritativeness.
As The Zioneer reported on Jun 11, Iranian officials began claiming the Lebanon ceasefire text was finalized — a claim Israeli and Western sources have contested, describing gaps as significant. On Jun 12, Foreign Minister Araghchi said the end of war must include all fronts, especially Lebanon. On Jun 18, Araghchi reiterated US responsibility under the MoU to end the war on all fronts. A leaked Bloomberg memo on Jun 17, relayed by Abu Ali Express, described the US committing to ending the war in Lebanon including an Israeli commitment as part of a broader deal.
It remains unverified whether the US has formally accepted the commitment Qalibaf described. No Israeli or Western official has confirmed that Article 1 of the MoU contains the language Qalibaf cited, and the draft text itself has not been published.
6 developments
- DevelopingIran says Lebanon ceasefire text finalized, US will compel Israel to end war
- StrongIran warns US must enforce Lebanon ceasefire obligations from MoU
- StrongIran: no final agreement with US without halt to Lebanon hostilities
- DevelopingIRGC spokesperson warns: Iran committed to US deal but ready to strike if Lebanon attacks continue
Source and signal
- Internal intake