'We stand firmly...': Iran warns of 'direct confrontation' if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf spoke to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday (June 2) about continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon and said that it could affect the ongoing peace process with Washington. This comes two days after Ghalibaf said that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians. Terming the attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon as ceasefire violation, Iran on Monday said that it has stopped exchanging messages with the US through intermediaries, its state-affiliated outlet Tasnim News Agency reported.

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In a post on X after conversation with Lebanese Parliament Speaker, Ghalibaf said, “I emphasised that if the crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon continue, we will not only halt the dialogue process but also stand firmly against them.” He concluded the message by declaring: “Long live the resistance! Long live the defence of the motherland! Long live the brotherhood of the Iranian and Lebanese peoples!” Ghalibaf in a video broadcast on state television, said, “We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld. Iranian negotiators neither trust the enemy's words nor its promises.”

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The Lebanon issue

Explaining its stance on Lebanon, Iran said that an Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon was a precondition for the ceasefire between Iran and the US. It must be noted that when ceasefire deal was finalised between the two sides after talks in Pakistan, Israel claimed that Lebanon was not included and Tehran pressed that it was very much a part of the deal. This led to further blockage of Strait of Hormuz and complicated the situation. After Israel stepped up attack in Lebanon this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a post on X emphasized that Lebanon is included in the ceasefire with the US and that any violation on one front “shall be considered a violation of it across all fronts." “The United States and Israel bear responsibility for the consequences of any breach of the truce,” he added.

Iran finds itself shielding Hezbollah ​in Lebanon as the group was founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 and is widely seen to be working as Tehran's proxy in the region. In its previous proposal, the Trump administration reportedly mentioned that ending Iran's proxy activities and disarmament of Hezbollah as key points to achieve a peace agreement.

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