Iranian Official Says Lebanon Truce Hinges on Full Israeli Withdrawal

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said Tehran considers a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon a necessary condition for continuing implementation of the memorandum of understanding with the United States. In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, he warned that if Israel does not fully leave Lebanese territory and stop military activity there, the memorandum will be void and talks on a final nuclear agreement will not move forward.

Baqaei said the U.S. commitment in the deal to safeguard Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is being interpreted in Tehran as a requirement for the complete removal of Israel’s forces from all Lebanese territory. “If that does not happen, the memorandum of understanding is null and void,” he said, adding that a permanent agreement can only emerge after a “complete cessation of hostilities and end of the occupation.”

He said Lebanon was part of the negotiations from the start and that Iran opposed any attempt to separate the regional fronts. “When we talk about ending the war, it has to be on all fronts and completely,” he said, stressing that Iran would not accept a partial end to fighting or abandon its allies in Lebanon.

Baqaei also spoke about postwar reconstruction in Lebanon, saying Iran supports foreign investment there and sees the country as an important economic destination once security stabilizes. He said Tehran has played, and will continue to play, an active role in reconstruction. He repeated that any continued Israeli presence in southern Lebanon, or any attacks inside the country, would be treated as a violation of the memorandum, and said a final deal is possible only if the agreement is fully implemented.