The Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, Esmaeil Qaani, said on Thursday that Israel must fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory on its own accord or be forced to retreat in defeat, according to Al-Arabiya English.
Withdrawal of Israeli Forces
These remarks come a week after Washington and Tehran reached an interim accord aimed at putting an end to the conflict in the Middle East after Iran and Lebanon were involved into a war against the US and Israel.
Under the deal, both countries vowed to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, Iran has maintained that the pledge requires Israeli troops to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon.
Currently, talks are underway between Israel and Lebanon over a US-supported initiative to transfer the control over parts of Lebanese territory occupied during the conflict with Hezbollah from Israeli forces to the Lebanese army. This proposal signals a potential advancement toward restoring Lebanese sovereignty over the occupied areas.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran responded with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead and triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israeli Lebanese Conflict
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah launched a series of attacks to support its ally, Tehran. As a result, Israel has launched an extensive military campaign that has since killed more than 3000 people.
On Wednesday, Iran and the United States signed an agreement to end the conflict, offering some relief and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Moreover, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed on Friday to a ceasefire that was set to take effect at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Friday, following a sharp escalation in hostilities overnight in Lebanon. However, Israel attacked Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least 20 people.
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