Iran says any peace deal with US depends on end to Israeli operations in Lebanon
In a series of posts on X, Khamenei said Iran's conditions for any agreement included what he described as the preservation of Lebanon's territorial integrity and an end to Israeli military action
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Sunday that any agreement to end hostilities between Iran and the United States would depend on Israel ending its military operations in Lebanon, linking Tehran's position to developments on Israel's northern front.
In a series of posts on X, Khamenei said Iran's conditions for any agreement included what he described as the preservation of Lebanon's territorial integrity and an end to Israeli military action, says Al Jazeera.
Iran "has designated the preservation of Lebanon's territorial integrity, and the absolute, unconditional termination of the Zionist regime's aggression as the primary condition for any agreement to ending the imposed war against the aggressive US", Khamenei said.
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"The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the defense of these oppressed yet powerful mujahideen [of Hezbollah] to be its strategic mandate", he added.
Khamenei's comments come amid renewed diplomatic efforts after a June memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran collapsed following disputes over the Strait of Hormuz. Recent reports have indicated a temporary pause in strikes between the United States and Iran, although no comprehensive agreement has been reached.
The conflict in Lebanon has continued despite diplomatic efforts. Hezbollah entered the war in March 2026 following the assassination of Iran's previous Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, during the early stages of the US-Israel war on Iran.
A US-mediated framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel on June 26 outlined a phased Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory but linked it to the disarmament of Hezbollah, a condition rejected by both Iran and Hezbollah.
Ziad Abu Rish, an associate professor at Bard College, said the proposed arrangement had drawn criticism because "One of the big criticisms is that it defers to Israel's preferences for how most things are going to play out … it reframed the issue in Lebanon from Israeli aggression to one of Hezbollah's presence".
The Lebanese military has said Israeli forces are preventing it from taking control of designated "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon while continuing bulldozing and shelling operations.
According to Al Jazeera, "Israel violated a previous ceasefire with Hezbollah more than 10,000 times, according to United Nations peacekeepers".
The conflict in Lebanon has killed at least 4,329 people, according to the information provided.
Al Jazeera also reported that "Mojtaba Khamenei's statement on Lebanon comes as war spreads into Yemen, with reports of an exchange of attacks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia".
