Iran Backs Lebanon in Ceasefire Efforts, Urges Swift Conflict Resolution
Iran has expressed its support for any decision made by Lebanon in ceasefire talks with Israel, according to a senior Iranian official on Friday.
This comes after Lebanon’s leader appealed to Iran for assistance in mediating a ceasefire amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged senior Iranian official Ali Larijani to support the implementation of Resolution 1701, alongside efforts to halt “Israeli aggression,” according to a statement from his office.
Larijani responded, “Iran supports any decision taken by the government, especially resolution 1701.”
Israel continued its bombardment of Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut for a fourth consecutive day, flattening five buildings in the Dahiyeh area on Friday. One of the buildings was near the bustling Tayouneh junction, and video footage captured its destruction, with debris spreading into Horsh Beirut, the city’s main park.
The Israeli military stated that the strikes targeted munitions warehouses, headquarters, and other Hezbollah infrastructure, and it issued warnings on social media identifying the buildings in advance.
The escalation coincides with progress in US-led diplomacy. Two senior Lebanese political sources said that the US ambassador to Lebanon had presented a draft ceasefire proposal to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday. Berri, endorsed by Hezbollah to lead negotiations, also met with senior Iranian official Ali Larijani on Friday.
At a press conference, Larijani denied seeking to undermine the US ceasefire proposal, saying, “We are not looking to sabotage anything. We are after a solution to the problems.”
He added, “We support in all circumstances the Lebanese government. Those who are disrupting are Netanyahu and his people,” referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
World powers have called for the ceasefire to be based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
The resolution requires Hezbollah to move weapons and fighters north of the Litani River, approximately 20 km from the Israeli border. However, Israel demands the right to act if Hezbollah violates the agreement, a condition Lebanon has rejected.
In addition to displacing civilians, Israel’s strikes have killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders. Despite these losses, Hezbollah continues its rocket attacks and battles with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that an artillery shell struck its West Sector headquarters in Shama on Thursday but failed to explode.
While no peacekeepers were injured, the incident caused minor damage. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani protested the attack after discussions with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, urging Israel to investigate the shelling.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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