Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that the ceasefire in Lebanon will only take effect on Friday, even though the end of the war was announced a day earlier after understandings were reached between Washington and Tehran. He said the memorandum of understanding is due to be officially signed in Switzerland at the end of the week, and only then will the agreement formally begin.
Araghchi warned that once the deal takes effect, any Israeli strike in Lebanon or continued Israeli presence in the country would be a violation of the understandings. He also said a new round of talks between the United States and Iran is expected to open when the memorandum is signed. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister said parliament speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf will attend the event, while the American side is expected to include Vice President Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
His remarks came as Lebanese media reported an airstrike on a vehicle in the village of Hdatta in southern Lebanon. In Israel, officials were still waiting for clarification on how the agreement would affect IDF activity in Lebanon, while U.S. officials said an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon is not a condition of the deal.
Separately, President Donald Trump used the G7 summit in France to discuss the northern front, Iran and his ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said he had suggested Israel let Syria deal with Hezbollah, that he has a good relationship with Netanyahu, but that Israel must now show more respect for Lebanon. On Iran, Trump said he never cared about regime change, praised the agreement with Tehran, and warned that if Iran develops nuclear weapons, buys them, or otherwise moves toward them, “the gates of hell will open.”
