Iran: Lebanon's sovereignty is a necessary part of the peace deal

By The Washington Times (World News) | Created at 2026-06-15 17:45:35 | Updated at 2026-06-16 12:17:02 19 hours ago

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times - Monday, June 15, 2026

Iran on Monday said the recent memorandum of understanding with the U.S. guaranteed a ceasefire in Lebanon and indicated it would not stand for further Israeli attacks on the country.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, revealed scant details about the new U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement in his first press briefing since the deal was announced on Sunday. But he insisted that the MoU’s language clearly protected Lebanon.

“The language is completely clear about what any understanding in this regard should entail,” Mr. Baghaei said, adding that the agreement includes protections for Lebanon’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the MoU included a “termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” in his announcement of the deal yesterday.

Mr. Baghaei also said Tehran would keep a close watch on the situation in Lebanon and would apply “all available tools” when necessary.

His comments come after Israel on Monday signaled it would not respect a full ceasefire in Lebanon and rejected the idea of withdrawing troops from the country.

“Holding territory and maintaining security zones are among the IDF’s greatest achievements in the War of Revival, under the decisions and guidance of the political leadership,” Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister, wrote. “Therefore, we oppose an IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, despite all existing pressures and those that may still come.”