Ending Israeli war on Lebanon key issue in US-Iran deal: Araghchi

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, is “the most important” issue in the peace memorandum with the U.S. announced Monday.

“The important point I want to emphasize 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,” Araghchi said during a briefing with foreign diplomats broadcast on state television.

“This is perhaps the most important issue in the memorandum – the declaration of an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” he said, adding that ending the war in Lebanon is “an inseparable part of the complete end of the war.”

His remarks came Tuesday, a day after Tehran and Washington announced a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict, which broke out Feb. 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and engulfed the Middle East.

Lebanon was sucked into the war in early March when the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, prompting Israeli strikes and a ground invasion.

Araghchi said the war would not end completely “without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories it occupied in this war.”

“Any military attack by the Zionist regime on Lebanon from now on and the continued occupation of Lebanese territories from now on will be considered a violation of the memorandum of understanding in our view,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s forces will remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “as long as necessary.”

Following Monday’s announcement, Hezbollah said it attacked Israeli forces trying to advance in southern Lebanon.

The parties are expected to sign the agreement Friday in Switzerland. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will attend the signing, according to state television.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance will head the American delegation, Takht-Ravanchi added.

He said it remains unclear whether the signing will occur electronically.

Araghchi said Tuesday the signing “will take place soon” and that talks with the U.S. on a final agreement covering Iran’s nuclear program will begin afterward.

“Likely on Friday, at a location to be determined … a new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States to reach a final agreement will begin,” Araghchi said.

“In the final agreement, decisions will be made on the nuclear issues and the lifting of sanctions,” he added.

DAILYSABAH