Iran warns Israel's attacks on Lebanon and Gaza threaten US ceasefire talks
Al Jazeera Staff
Iranian officials warn that Israel's escalating attacks on Lebanon and Gaza threaten ongoing US-Iran ceasefire negotiations, demanding a 'ceasefire on all fronts.' Foreign Minister Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf accuse the US and Israel of violating the truce, as Israel expands its invasion of Lebanon.
Iranian officials have warned that Israel's escalating attacks on Lebanon and ongoing hostilities in Gaza threaten to derail ongoing ceasefire negotiations with the United States, which remain in limbo, according to Al Jazeera.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday suggested that Israel's expansion of its invasion of Lebanon and airstrikes against the country, coupled with the continued U.S. blockade of Iran's ports, constitute violations of the ceasefire.
'The ceasefire between Iran and the US is clearly a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon,' Araghchi wrote on social media. 'A violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel bear responsibility for the consequences of any violation.'
Iran's lead negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf echoed similar sentiments. 'Naval blockade and escalation of war crimes in Lebanon by the fascist Zionist regime is clear evidence of the US's non-compliance with the ceasefire,' he wrote on social media. 'Every option has its price, and the bill will come. Everything will be sorted out,' he added.
The comments come as Israel expands its invasion of southern Lebanon and threatens to resume large-scale attacks on Beirut. Shortly afterward, the Israeli military issued forced evacuation orders for residents of the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiye and carried out airstrikes. A day earlier, Israeli ground forces reached their deepest point in Lebanon in 26 years.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday afternoon that Tehran also demanded a halt to Israeli military attacks in Gaza. The report said Iranian officials had paused text exchanges through a mediator with US counterparts due to the ongoing hostilities.
'An immediate halt to the aggressive and brutal military operations of the Zionist regime in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a demand for the regime's complete withdrawal from occupied areas in Lebanon, have been emphasized by Iranian officials and negotiators, and no negotiations will occur until Iran's viewpoint and that of the resistance forces are met on this issue,' the agency reported.
Although the report from Tasnim, which is believed to have ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has not been publicly confirmed by the Iranian government, it could be a signal from Tehran. The US has tried to separate the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon from the broader conflict with Iran, but Tehran insists Lebanon must be included in any future agreement. Instead, the US administration has supported and organized separate talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials.
President Donald Trump earlier on Monday reiterated that Iran 'wants to reach a deal' and urged critics to let him handle the negotiations and stop 'nitpicking.' 'Just sit back and relax, everything will eventually work out – as always!' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
