Ending the war in Lebanon is an inseparable part of the complete end of the war

According to a report by the Taghrib News Agency, Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated at a meeting with ambassadors, chargés d'affaires, and heads of foreign and international missions residing in Tehran: "As you know, due to the difficulties that arose in reaching an agreement between us and the United States—difficulties caused by the criminal aggression of the US and the Zionist regime against Iran—we ultimately decided to divide the negotiations into two stages."

Araghchi added: "In the first stage, we agreed to negotiate the issue of ending the war, the Strait of Hormuz, the naval blockade, and matters related to reconstruction and similar issues, and to reach a memorandum of understanding. Then negotiations would continue for sixty days until we reach a final agreement. In the final agreement, the nuclear issues and the lifting of sanctions will be decided, and we will reach a final conclusion."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized: "This is our path in the negotiations. After three months of negotiations, which began at the start of the war and continued until June 15 (25 Khordad), we were ultimately able to finalize the first stage."

Araghchi noted: "In the first stage, the most important issue is the declaration of the end of the war. Based on our decision, from the morning of Monday, when the agreement was finalized—Monday Tehran time—the end of the war was also declared. However, the official start of this memorandum will be from Friday."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs clarified: "Nevertheless, the declaration of the end of the war has been in effect since Monday morning, and this is perhaps the most important issue in the memorandum: the declaration of an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, starting Friday in Lebanon."

Araghchi also said: "Because of the connection between the war in Lebanon and the Zionist regime's aggression against southern Lebanon with the war against Iran, these two fronts became intertwined and dependent on each other. From the very first day, the Islamic Republic of Iran considered ending the war in Lebanon as a requirement for ending the war with Iran."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs added: "When we reached a ceasefire, we declared a ceasefire on all fronts, with emphasis on Lebanon. The ceasefire began on Friday in Lebanon, and now that we have reached the end of the war, the end of the war will also apply to Lebanon."

Araghchi emphasized: "An important point I want to stress here is that, from our perspective, the two sides of this memorandum are, on one side, the US and Israel, and on the other, Iran and Hezbollah."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs noted: "Ending the war in Lebanon is an inseparable part of the complete end of the war, and the end of the war also encompasses the end of occupation. Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the lands they have occupied during this war, the end of the war is not complete."

Araghchi clarified: "Certainly, any military attack by the Zionist regime on Lebanon from now on, and the continued occupation of Lebanese territory, will be considered a violation of the memorandum of understanding from our perspective."