Iran Sets Terms for US Deal: Lebanon, Gaza Withdrawal or No Agreement
Iran has outlined its conditions for any future understanding with the United States, demanding an end to the conflict in West Asia, specifically an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, the conclusion of the war in the Gaza Strip, and a halt to Israeli strikes in Syria. According to a report by the Tasnim News Agency, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, stated in an interview with Hezbollah's Al-Manar channel that Tehran views Lebanon's security as integral to its own national security and will continue to support it through all means. Rezaei emphasized that Beirut and the southern suburbs are a "red line," asserting that Israel cannot advance toward them and will be forced to withdraw from any entered territories, while also clarifying that Iran does not interfere in Hezbollah's operational decisions.
Concurrently, a report from the Amith Institute for Terrorism and Intelligence indicates a heightened state of alert among Iran's regional proxies and pro-Iranian fronts. In Yemen and Somalia, relations between the Houthi movement and Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, have reportedly intensified, involving arms trading, training, and joint preparations against potential Israeli presence in Somaliland. Approximately 100 Al-Shabaab operatives have allegedly been sent to Yemen for advanced weapons and drone training, with Houthi instructors dispatched to Somalia. Meanwhile, Yemeni "National Resistance" forces reportedly seized an Iranian ship in the Red Sea carrying electronic components and control systems for Houthi drones. The Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister, Abd al-Wahid Abu Ras, has called for a regional alliance to confront Israel.
In Iraq, the pro-Iranian militia "Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada" has detailed its terms for disarmament, including a full U.S. withdrawal, a ban on using Iraqi airspace, the establishment of full sovereignty, the regulation of the "Popular Mobilization" forces' status, and the expulsion of Turkish forces, the PKK, and Iranian opposition groups. The U.S. has reportedly rejected a proposal from five militias, including Hezbollah Brigades and Al-Nujaba, to freeze their military activities for two years instead of disarming.
On the Lebanese front, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon, Ali Al-Khatib, reaffirming Iran's support for the country's Shiite population. Separately, a representative of the Amal movement in Tehran criticized the Lebanese government's treatment of Iran and its handling of the designated Iranian ambassador issue.
Within the Palestinian arena, the Secretary-General of the "World Assembly for Islamic Awakening," Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, presented Leader Khamenei's plan at a Tehran conference. This plan proposes elections in "Palestine" involving all residents to determine the system of governance, rejecting the two-state solution and labeling Israel as a "toxic tree" to be removed.
