Hezbollah announced Tuesday that it believes Iran will walk away from any final nuclear agreement with Washington if Israel does not first pull its troops out of Lebanon. The statement came on the same day Iran’s foreign minister warned that Israel’s continued military presence in the country would be treated as a breach of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.
Israeli forces continue to hold a portion of southern Lebanon captured during a three-month military campaign — combining air and ground operations — against Hezbollah. That offensive launched after the Iran-backed group opened fire on Israel on March 2 in a show of support for Tehran.
While the level of fighting in Lebanon dropped considerably following the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, it has not come to a complete halt. Israel has stated its soldiers will remain in southern Lebanon for the time being.
Hezbollah has strongly opposed Israel’s ongoing occupation of that territory. The group’s media office said Tuesday that it understands Iran intends to push for an Israeli withdrawal during the next phase of U.S.-Iran negotiations — talks that are scheduled to begin after the two countries formally sign their memorandum of understanding this coming Friday.
Those upcoming discussions are expected to tackle some of the most contentious issues, including the future direction of Iran’s nuclear program.
“We believe there will be no nuclear deal between Iran and the United States if Israel does not withdraw,” Hezbollah’s media office told Reuters. The statement marked the first time the group has directly tied an Israeli military pullout to the outcome of a potential nuclear agreement.
Hezbollah clarified that an Israeli withdrawal would be an outcome of those negotiations — not a condition that must be met before talks begin. The group also said it has received assurances from Iran that any Israeli violation of the Lebanon ceasefire would have consequences for the upcoming diplomatic process.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated Tuesday that a true end to the broader regional conflict must include a resolution in Lebanon — specifically what he called “the end of the occupation” of Lebanese land.
“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they have occupied in this war, a full end to the war has not been achieved,” Araqchi said.
He went further, stating that any Israeli military strike on Lebanon or continued occupation of Lebanese territory “will, in our view, be considered a violation of the memorandum of understanding.”
