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Irans Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has underlined that a complete halt to the war on every front remains essential for peace, warning that any ongoing fighting in one area would keep the war alive throughout the region.
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, citing Lebanons Al Mayadeen television network, Khatibzadeh said Iran remained committed to ending the Israeli war on Lebanon and had secured this objective in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, which Iran and the United States signed in mid-June this year. He said Lebanon was among the key issues discussed between Iran and the US, adding that he sought to bring the two sides closer during his visit to Beirut. The senior Iranian official, who reached the Lebanese capital on Wednesday for talks with local leaders, described the exchanges as good and confirmed meetings with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Foreign Ministry representatives. He insisted that Israel must stop its war in Lebanon and the Levant, pointing out that events in the two areas remain closely linked. One core Iranian demand, he explained, is the termination of all wars. Continued combat on even a single front would signal that the war is still under way everywhere. This stance, he noted, guided Tehrans efforts to conclude the war in Lebanon, an outcome it succeeded in securing. Khatibzadeh also charged that Washington and Tel Aviv had breached the Islamabad memorandum of understanding by launching strikes on Iran and Lebanon. He observed that American attempts to arrange a ceasefire and end Israels war on Lebanon had stalled, declaring that Israel could not be relied upon to keep its word and that the United States bore responsibility for reining in its ally. Labelling the US war on Iran unlawful under international law, the deputy foreign minister said Washington had been unable to eliminate Irans air defences or its ability to deter attacks. Tehran, he added, had withstood an existential war and would continue safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Iran stood prepared to respond to questions raised by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United States concerning its peaceful nuclear programme, he stated, referring to more than 15 IAEA reports that verified Iranian compliance. Tehran had further offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, stressing that it did not pursue war but would counter any imposed conflict. Hezbollah, Khatibzadeh said, functions as a Lebanese political party created to stop Israeli assaults and occupation. Ties between Iran and its partners rested on common beliefs, values and principles. (ANI)
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