IRGC Quds Force Commander Says Israel Must Withdraw All Troops From Lebanon

Commander of the Iranian IRGC Quds Force Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa'ani. (IRNA/Akbar Tavakkoli)

JAKARTA - Senior Iranian military officials said all Israeli forces must be withdrawn from Lebanon, following Iran's peace talks with the United States last weekend in Switzerland.

The commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Esmaeil Qaani on Thursday asserted that Israel must withdraw itself from all Lebanese territory or be forced to flee in defeat, according to state media, launching Al Arabiya (25/6).

Last week, the United States and Iran signed a temporary deal that ended hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, and pledged to ensure Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, with Tehran saying this meant Israeli forces must leave southern Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon have discussed a U.S.-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over parts of Lebanon invaded in their war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, as a possible step to restore Lebanese control over the occupied territory.

Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket attacks on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in a US-Israeli attack.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last week aimed at reaching a permanent settlement between the two countries, following the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28.