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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has declared that any agreement ending the conflict with the United States must also include Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory, warning that continued military action or occupation would violate the emerging memorandum of understanding. Speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, Araghchi argued that the situation in Lebanon is "an inseparable part" of any comprehensive settlement and insisted that the occupation must end before the war can truly be regarded as over.

His remarks signal that Iran intends to link developments in Lebanon directly to the broader diplomatic framework aimed at ending hostilities. As reported by Africa News, Araghchi said the end of the war cannot be considered complete without an Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Lebanon during the conflict.

Coverage Comparison

The statements were covered across multiple outlets, with variations in emphasis. Al Jazeera reported that Araghchi said the war with the US is over, warning that any continued Israeli occupation in Lebanon would be a violation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington DC. The Jerusalem Post noted that Araghchi, during a call with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, added that the US would be held responsible for any violation of the memorandum, and that according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghai, the memorandum was signed digitally on Friday morning.

Al Jazeera also carried an analysis from Rami Khouri, who suggested that Israel may "symbolically" pull back its troops from southern Lebanon after the US and Iran signed the peace deal, but that real policy change will only happen when the US forces Israel's hand. Another Al Jazeera report quoted Jason Campbell of the Middle East Institute explaining that Israel insists it will maintain its military occupation in Lebanon, and that US and Israeli objectives in the region have increasingly diverged since they launched their war.

The South China Morning Post provided context on the conflict's timeline, reporting that the conflict broke out on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and that Lebanon was pulled into the war in early March when Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel.

TASS, the Russian state news agency, quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei as saying that the memorandum signed with the United States on the settlement of the conflict will be in jeopardy if Washington fails to force Israel to stop attacks on Lebanon. Baghaei was quoted as saying, "Iran has fulfilled its obligations, while the other side was obliged to make sure that the Zionist regime maintains a ceasefire in Lebanon. However, it directly violated the agreements by inaction."

The Hindu reported Araghchi's comments to foreign diplomats, quoting him as saying, "The important point I want to emphasise here is that in our view, there are two parties to this memorandum – one side is America and Israel, and the other side is Iran and Hezbollah."

Key Claims

  • Any agreement ending the conflict with the United States must include Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory, as stated by Iran's foreign minister and reported by Africa News, Al Jazeera, The Hindu, and the South China Morning Post.
  • The situation in Lebanon is "an inseparable part" of any comprehensive settlement, according to Araghchi, as reported by Africa News and The Hindu.
  • Araghchi said the war with the US is over, a claim carried by Al Jazeera.
  • The US would be held responsible for any violation of the memorandum of understanding, as reported by the Jerusalem Post and TASS.
  • The memorandum of understanding was signed digitally on Friday morning, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghai, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
  • Israel insists it will maintain its military occupation in Lebanon, as reported by Al Jazeera.
  • Israel may symbolically pull back troops from southern Lebanon, but real policy change will only happen when the US forces Israel's hand, according to analyst Rami Khouri, as reported by Al Jazeera.
  • The conflict broke out on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Lebanon was pulled into the war in early March when Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Perspectives

Iran

Iran's foreign minister and foreign ministry spokesman frame the agreement as having two parties: America and Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other. They insist that the end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, is the most important issue, and that any continued Israeli occupation or attacks on Lebanon would violate the memorandum, putting the entire agreement in jeopardy.

Israel

Israel insists it will maintain its military occupation in Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera's report, indicating a divergence from US objectives.

Analysts

Analyst Rami Khouri, cited by Al Jazeera, suggests Israel may only symbolically pull back troops, with real change dependent on US pressure. Jason Campbell of the Middle East Institute, also cited by Al Jazeera, notes that US and Israeli objectives have diverged since they launched the war.