Iran insists ending war in Lebanon is integral part of deal with U.S.
JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday, the end of the war on all fronts, including the cessation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon, is a "precondition" for ending the war between Iran and the US-Israel, according to the Iranian Government news agency, IRNA.
The Lebanese and Iranian lines "have somehow become connected and dependent on each other, from the first day, Iran considers the end of the war in Lebanon as a prerequisite for ending the war with Iran," Araghchi told an international mission meeting in the capital Tehran.
"Now we have reached the end of the war, the end of the war will also happen in Lebanon," he said, calling the ceasefire in Lebanon an "integral" part of the agreement recently announced with the US, Anadolu (16/6) reported.
"The end of the war was announced on Monday morning in Iran," the senior diplomat said, adding that the memorandum of understanding would officially take effect on Friday.
The upcoming US-Iranian talks, scheduled to begin in Switzerland on Friday, will be divided into two phases, Foreign Minister Araghchi said, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He said the first phase would discuss issues including the Strait of Hormuz, maritime restrictions, and the reconstruction of Iran's post-conflict infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the second phase will focus on nuclear issues and the lifting of sanctions which will be resolved in the final agreement.
Previously, Iran had confirmed that there was no ongoing agreement with the United States, without comprehensive guarantees of Lebanese security, calling for an end to attacks by Israel.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday there was no agreement with the US that would be sustainable "without comprehensive guarantees for Lebanon's security and territorial independence."
"The mention of the name 'Lebanon' three times in the recent memorandum of understanding shows the strategic position of this country in the reconciliation process," Esmail Baghaei said, launching Anadolu from Tasnim.
"Establishing a ceasefire and ending the war in Lebanon is an integral part of a comprehensive understanding to end the war," he added.
As previously reported, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday, "The Peace Deal between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been reached."
"Both sides have declared an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," Prime Minister Sharif said in a social media post on Sunday night, quoted by CNN.
"The official signing ceremony will be held on Friday, June 19 in Switzerland," added the Prime Minister of Pakistan, while thanking Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey for their assistance in the "mediation efforts."
US President Donald Trump then announced a peace deal with Iran had been reached and the United States would end its naval blockade of the country, marking the most significant development in months of negotiations.
In turn, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said the text of the memorandum of understanding with the United States had been finalized and would be officially signed on Friday in Switzerland.
Later, the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) of Iran confirmed the existence of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) mediated by Pakistan to end the war with the United States.
In Israel, two right-wing politicians, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, criticized the US-Iranian deal to end the fighting, including in Lebanon, instead calling for an increased campaign in the south of the country on the pretext of eliminating the militant group Hezbollah, stressing that his country is not bound by the agreement.