Iran Wants Lebanon Included in Any Ceasefire: Report
BEIRUT: Six regional sources familiar with Iran’s position stated that Iran told intermediaries that Lebanon should be included in any ceasefire agreement with the United States and Israel, and linked the end of the war with “stopping Israel’s attack on Hezbollah.”
Iran Press TV on Wednesday quoted an Iranian official as saying that Tehran wants any agreement with the United States to ensure an end to the war against both Iran and other “resistance groups” in the region.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that Tehran is still reviewing a US proposal to end the nearly month-long regional war and that Tehran has so far stopped short of rejecting the proposal outright.
Six regional sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Tehran informed mediators in mid-March that it wanted an agreement that would also stop Israel’s attacks on the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah was founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in 1982 and is widely seen as the vanguard of Iran’s regional alliance of armed actors. In solidarity with Tehran, it opened fire on Israel on March 2, triggering Israel’s air and ground attack on Lebanon.
There was no response from the Iranian foreign ministry, the Israeli foreign ministry or the Israeli army to Reuters’ questions on the subject.
A senior Trump administration official said ending Iran’s “proxy activities” and disarming Hezbollah “is vital to ensuring peace and stability in Lebanon and throughout the region.”
‘THERE IS AN IRAN GUARANTEE’
One regional source told Reuters that Hezbollah had received “Iranian guarantees” about being included in the broader agreement.
“Iran prioritizes Lebanon; it will not accept Israel’s violations in Lebanon, as it did after the 2024 ceasefire,” the source said, referring to Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon despite the 2024 ceasefire that ended the last Hezbollah-Israel war.
Such a link would reaffirm Tehran’s ties to Hezbollah at a time of political turmoil in Beirut, where the Shiite Muslim group’s decision to enter the war has sharpened long-standing tensions with other sectarian groups.
Hezbollah has long been a dominant force in the Lebanese state. But its influence diminished significantly after the group was beaten by Israel in 2024 and the new government in Lebanon made unprecedented demands for its disarmament and banned its military activities.
Lebanon’s foreign ministry declared Iran’s appointed ambassador persona non grata on Tuesday. Hezbollah and other prominent Shiite Muslim figures in the country condemned the move and said the envoy should stay.
A foreign official familiar with Hezbollah’s stance in Beirut said the group hoped an Iran-backed ceasefire would help strengthen its political position in Lebanon.
“Israel has not and is not negotiating with the Iranian terrorist regime,” the Israeli foreign ministry said.
A source with knowledge of Israel’s military strategy said Israeli attacks on Hezbollah will likely continue after the air war with Iran, saying the two fronts are unconnected.
According to four Lebanese sources, Hezbollah’s calculations about joining the conflict were based on Iran’s religious leadership surviving the war and a regional ceasefire that would include the Lebanese group.
Lebanese officials say that more than 1,000 people have died and more than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon in Israeli attacks since March 2.
