US needs to "adhere to its commitments" of ceasefire: Iran's FM Araghchi says Lebanon integral part of deal

Tehran [Iran], April 10 : Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday said that the US must adhere to its commitments under the two-week ceasefire deal to halt the hostilities in West Asia, asserting that Lebanon remains an integral part of the agreement, as reported by Iranian state media outlet Press TV.

According to Press TV, Araghchi made the remarks during a phone conversation with Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani, in which he was briefed on the latest developments in Lebanon.

Sheibani provided a detailed update on the "battlefield and political developments" in Lebanon following what Iran described as recent Israeli aggressions.

During the call, Araghchi condemned what he termed "brutal crimes" committed by Israel against Lebanon and reiterated Iran's political support for Beirut, Press TV reported.

"Abbas Araghchi condemned the brutal crimes committed by the Zionist regime against Lebanon, and emphasised the full support and solidarity of the people and government of Iran for the resistance of Lebanon against the Israeli occupation regime," the statement read, as quoted by Press TV.

He further stressed that Lebanon is an essential component of any ceasefire arrangement, adding that hostilities must cease immediately.

"Abbas Araghchi states that Lebanon is an integral part of the ceasefire agreement, adding that the Zionist entity must stop its attacks and emphasising the need for the US to adhere to its commitments in this regard," the statement added, as quoted by Press TV.

This comes amid uncertainty surrounding the prospects of talks between Iran and the United States to find a complete solution to end the conflict in West Asia after Tehran reiterated that key preconditions must be met before negotiations can begin.

Speaker of Iran's Parliament, MB Ghalibaf, in a post on X, said that two measures agreed upon between the parties remain unfulfilled, stressing that progress on these issues is essential before any dialogue can take place.

According to Ghalibaf, the ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets are set as the preconditions before negotiations can take place in Islamabad.

"Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations. These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin," Ghalibaf said in his post.

The developments come as the fragile ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran hangs in the balance, with Tehran stating that the truce also includes the halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon as US officials travel to Islamabad to take part in talks with Iran aimed at completely ending the hostilities in West Asia.

However, both Washington and Israel have maintained that the ceasefire does not extend to Hezbollah targets, a disagreement that has further complicated diplomatic efforts and heightened the risk of the truce collapsing.

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