Iran Said War Will Only End When It Ends In Lebanon.

Tehran/Beirut; June 2026: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the US-Israel war with Iran will only end “when it also ends in Lebanon. We hold the same position regarding a ceasefire, and the same position regarding ending the war”, Araghchi said in an interview with Arab media outlet Al Mayadeen, shared by Iran’s foreign ministry today (04th June) early morning.

Iran has repeatedly said that any ceasefire agreement must include Lebanon – a stipulation that has threatened to disrupt the US negotiating process with Tehran. It was on the June 01st morning this month that US President Donald Trump’s brittle diplomatic push to get out of the Iran war suddenly seemed to buckle. The causes, this time, were an Israeli threat to strike Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs and militia missile attacks on Israel.

The sudden escalation prompted an outburst from Trump that betrayed his frustration with a conflict he launched in February that has now stretched into June, defying his hopes for a swift and clear-cut victory.

“I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less,” Trump told CNBC, when asked about Iran’s claim it had suspended talks with the US because of what it regarded as Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon. The talks have become “very boring,” he said.

But Trump nevertheless launched emergency diplomacy, calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a conversation that became acrimonious, with the US president using expletives to express his disapproval of the planned offensive in Lebanon.

Trump also talked to Hezbollah through what he called “highly placed” representatives. He then announced on Truth Social that both sides had agreed not to shoot and said Iran talks were continuing at a ‘rapid pace’. Lebanon’s embassy in Washington later said Hezbollah had confirmed it would refrain from attacking Israel in exchange for Israel ceasing strikes in Beirut. Israel said in a statement that it would continue operations in southern Lebanon but tacitly announced that, for now at least, it would not strike Beirut.

Araghchi today (04th June) has also said that the end of the war must mean that Israeli forces withdraw from Lebanon, where Israel has been targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah since early March. Yesterday (Wednesday – 03rd June 2026) Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon.

The agreement comes after the Israeli government threatened to escalate its actions in Lebanon, a move that threatens to derail the US-Iran talks. The ongoing ceasefire has seen repeated violations as Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade strikes.

Yesterday’s talks lasted nearly nine hours and came after a full day of talks on Tuesday (02nd June) at the US State Department. Israel and Lebanon “agreed to reconvene the political and security tracks the week of June 22, with a view toward reaching a comprehensive agreement”, the joint statement said, noting that the US “agreed to continue facilitating communication between the parties in the interim”.

The joint statement said the two sides have agreed to “swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”, but it did not lay out a timeline for those pilot zones.

According to the joint statement, “Israel reaffirmed that its security and respect for its territorial integrity can only be achieved through the disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantlement of its infrastructure throughout Lebanon”.

“Lebanon reaffirmed the necessity for mutual respect of internationally recognized borders, the urgent need for full implementation of the cessation of hostilities, underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty”, it said. “Lebanon committed to enhancing the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces, with US support, to assert effective control throughout the country”.

The US “underscored its intent to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, with the aim of improving their capacity and enabling the effective exercise of sovereignty throughout Lebanese territory”, it said.

“All parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region, and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression”, it said.

Meanwhile, today (June 04th) Araghchi has said that all parties, including Hezbollah, must participate in national dialogue to solve Lebanon’s internal issues. “The world must recognise that Hezbollah is part of Lebanon’s reality”, he said, adding that attempts by Israel to dismantle the group and assassinate its leaders have only made it stronger.

Araghchi indicated that Iran would help with reconstruction efforts in the country once that happens. “We hope that reconstruction efforts will begin after the war ends. Naturally, the people and government of Iran will never forget their friends in Lebanon, we will certainly do whatever we can to help the Lebanese people”, he said.

Team Maverick.