Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that a complete end to hostilities across the region, including the cessation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon, was a key condition for ending the war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Addressing representatives of foreign missions in Tehran, Araghchi stated that developments on the Lebanese and Iranian fronts had been interconnected since the beginning of the war.
“From day one, the Islamic Republic of Iran considered ending the war in Lebanon a prerequisite for ending the war with Iran,” he said, according to Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA.
The Iranian foreign minister added that with the US-Israel war on Iran now moving toward a conclusion, the war in Lebanon would also come to an end. He described the ceasefire arrangement in Lebanon as an “inseparable” component of the recently announced understanding between Iran and the United States.
Araghchi said the end of the war was declared on Monday morning according to Iranian time and noted that the memorandum of understanding reached between the parties would officially take effect on Friday.
Providing details about the next phase of diplomacy, the foreign minister said upcoming talks between Iran and the United States, scheduled to begin in Switzerland on Friday, would proceed in two stages.
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the first round of discussions will focus on issues related to the Strait of Hormuz, maritime restrictions, and the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged during the conflict. A second phase of negotiations will address Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief, with both sides aiming to reach a comprehensive final agreement.
The remarks come amid ongoing efforts to consolidate a broader regional ceasefire and reduce tensions following months of war involving multiple fronts across the Middle East.
