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No deal will last without 'guarantee of Lebanon's security': Iran

A man makes his way through a heavily damaged building in the center of Nabatieh on June 15, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Photo
BigPhoto
A man makes his way through a heavily damaged building in the center of Nabatieh on June 15, 2026. (AFP Photo)
June 15, 2026 04:38 PM GMT+03:00

Iran's Foreign Ministry said Monday that no agreement with the United States would be sustainable "without the comprehensive guarantee of Lebanon's security and territorial independence."

Tehran framed the Lebanon clause as a core condition of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and warned Washington that it is responsible for ensuring that Israel complied with the ceasefire terms.

"The mention of the name "Lebanon" three times in the recent MoU shows the strategic position of this country in the reconciliation process," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters in a press briefing carried by Tasnim News Agency.

"Establishing a ceasefire and ending the war in Lebanon is an integral part of the comprehensive understanding to end the war," he added.

Baghaei said the United States "must honor" its commitments on the Lebanon issue.

"The United States must honour its commitments. It must ensure that the Zionist regime also respects its own regarding Lebanon," he said, adding that Tehran "neither trusts Israel nor the United States."

He warned that Iran's commitments under the memorandum were reciprocal: "If they do not fulfill their commitments, Iran will respond in kind. Commitments are symmetrical and reciprocal; no one can expect the Islamic Republic of Iran to fulfill its commitments while the other side evades theirs."

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Esmail Baghaei, attends a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, Iran, May 4, 2026. (AA Photo)
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Esmail Baghaei, attends a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, Iran, May 4, 2026. (AA Photo)

How Dahiyeh strike folded into Lebanon clause

Baghaei provided a detailed Iranian account of how Sunday's Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Dahiyeh suburb, which killed at least three people, including, according to the Iranian readout, a senior Hezbollah commander, interacted with the final moments of the negotiations.

He said the strike, which he described as "a terrorist attack on a residential area," had been converted into what he characterized as a strategic opportunity rather than an obstacle.

"I think it will later become clearer that the terrorist act of the Zionist regime against Lebanon yesterday afternoon became an opportunity to maximize the national interests of Iran, the resistance front, and Lebanon," Baghaei said.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran and its allies did not allow this malice of the Zionist regime to disrupt our focus on serving the supreme interests of Iran and Lebanon. In fact, this crime led to greater cohesion and strength of the resistance front," he noted.

He added that the explicit language on Lebanon's sovereignty in the final text, including guarantees of Lebanon's territorial integrity, had been strengthened in direct response to Israeli military conduct.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed that the clause on ending military operations "in all arenas including Lebanon" is made explicit in the final memorandum text.

Members of security forces and onlookers gather near a heavily damaged building following an Israeli airstrike on the Dahieh district in Beirut, Lebanon, June 14, 2026. (AA Photo)
Members of security forces and onlookers gather near a heavily damaged building following an Israeli airstrike on the Dahieh district in Beirut, Lebanon, June 14, 2026. (AA Photo)

US forces to withdraw within 30 days

Tasnim, citing an informed source, disclosed specific article numbers from the memorandum.

According to the source, "Article 4 requires U.S. combat forces to withdraw from the region surrounding Iran within 30 days of a final agreement."

  • Article 9 commits the U.S. not to add new forces in the region and Iran not to take nuclear action during the 60-day negotiating period
  • Article 7 commits the U.S. to lifting primary and secondary sanctions, U.N. Security Council resolutions, and Board of Governors resolutions after a final agreement
  • Article 8 provides for 60 days of talks, extendable, on nuclear issues, including enrichment and stored nuclear material
  • Article 11 specifies that oil, petrochemical, and derivative sanctions waivers take effect upon signing on Friday, covering transport, sales, insurance, and financial transactions related to oil sales

Baghaei confirmed in his briefing that all restrictions on Iranian oil, petroleum products and petrochemicals would be "lifted immediately" upon the memorandum's signing on Friday.

He described the release of Iran's frozen assets and the compensation for war damage as "two important economic priorities" in the MoU.

"The American side has committed to taking measures in both areas," he said.

"The U.S. is also obligated to cancel all primary and secondary sanctions, Security Council resolutions and nuclear agency resolutions, with details to be finalized within 60 days of signing," he added.

A U.S. Marine prepares to load onto a UH-1Y Venom during aerial sniper and close air support training in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 31, 2026. (Photo via U.S. Marine Corps)
A U.S. Marine prepares to load onto a UH-1Y Venom during aerial sniper and close air support training in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 31, 2026. (Photo via U.S. Marine Corps)

Iran will seek legal accountability for war damages

Baghaei said Iran will pursue legal accountability for all war crimes committed against Iran, regardless of the diplomatic agreement.

"Reaching any agreement and diplomacy to reduce tensions and end the war will never mean overlooking, forgetting, or forgiving the crimes of the other side against the Iranian people," he said.

He noted that the final agreement would need to be registered as a binding U.N. Security Council resolution, acknowledging difficult prior experiences with Chapter VII violations but describing Iran's deterrence capability as the most credible guarantee of compliance.

"The most credible and effective guarantee for the implementation of commitments by the other side is Iran's own power levers and deterrence capability, which have been proven over these three months," he said.

Baghaei also confirmed that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi planned to visit several regional and neighboring countries before the Geneva signing, with a final announcement on the mechanism and format of the signing ceremony expected within the next day or two.

June 15, 2026 04:39 PM GMT+03:00
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