Hezbollah, regarding the US-Iran-Lebanon negotiations, made its voice heard through its Secretary General, Naim Qassem, who delivered a speech at the end of the Ashura procession: “The memorandum of understanding is an official declaration of the defeat of America and Israel.” He also stated: “Today, Iran is recognized not only as a nation shaping its own future, but also the future of the region, a region we have supported through years of aggression and suffering.”
Then, speaking about the situation in Hezbollah, Qassem said: “[…] The enemies tried to destroy us, but they suffered a crushing defeat. Israel has no choice but to completely withdraw from Lebanon and end its land, sea, and air attacks. Israel wanted to force us to abandon our homes, but with Iran’s support, we have built a strong deterrent against its attacks. Israel attempted to occupy Lebanon as part of its “Greater Israel” project, but resistance emerged in response to its aggression and occupation. “We have defeated the Israeli-American plan and entered a new phase.”
This speech was published just as the meetings in Washington were underway. After four days of meetings, Israel explicitly stated that it did not want to withdraw and that Lebanon, not Israel, needed to show signs of goodwill.
Israel demanded that the Lebanese army not fill the void left by an Israeli withdrawal and ensure that Hezbollah does not return […] but rather that the Lebanese army begin occupying the areas not reached by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the war, disarm Hezbollah, and demolish all infrastructure. Only then, and after the entire south has been evacuated, could Israel perhaps consider a partial reduction of its presence in Lebanon.
Iran reports that a source close to the negotiating team told IRIB news agency that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese areas is a condition for the final agreement and is considered a key red line by the Iranian team.
IRIB continues: “The final memorandum of understanding guarantees Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This aspect was emphasized as a unified executive mechanism for dispute resolution, with Iran’s participation, in the Swiss text, and Iran is monitoring the implementation schedule. Over the past six days, the volume of attacks against Lebanon has significantly decreased, demonstrating the effectiveness of Iranian actions, but the Islamic Republic will not be satisfied with anything less than a permanent ceasefire and Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanon.
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Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
