Iran warned Monday it will not hesitate to help Lebanon resist Israel’s “illegal aggression” on the country.
“We have emphasized and continue to emphasize that the ceasefire in Lebanon is an integral part of any ceasefire and any final agreement” to end the war with the US, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference cited by the state news agency IRNA.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army on Monday to carry out airstrikes in the Lebanese capital Beirut in renewed escalation despite an ongoing ceasefire in Lebanon.
“Tehran is not currently holding negotiations with Washington on the details of its nuclear program,” Baqaei said. “At this stage, our focus is on ending the war.”
READ: Iran says Israel’s actions in Lebanon delaying US deal
Separately, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator in talks with Washington, said the US naval blockade and Israeli “war crimes” in Lebanon “are clear evidence of US noncompliance with the ceasefire.”
“Every choice has a price, and the bill comes due. It will all fall into place,” he added on the US social media company X.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf, alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Since then, the two sides have continued exchanging proposals and counterproposals in an effort to resume direct talks and end the conflict.
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