Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf looks on after a press conference with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, October 12, 2024. REUTERS
Iranian parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran remains deeply at odds with the US despite the recently signed memorandum of understanding, describing its implementation as “difficult, but possible,” according to Al Jazeera.
Ghalibaf made the comments during a meeting in Tehran with Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas’s leadership council, who travelled to Iran to attend Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies.
“We have no peace with the United States, and we will not recognise Israel,” he stated, adding that Iran will continue supporting Muslims and the “axis of resistance” under Khamenei’s guidelines, “if needed with missiles and if political pressure is required, pressure through negotiations”.
He stated that Iran must avoid “negotiation for the sake of negotiation”.
“We told the American side that the territorial integrity of regional countries and the cessation of war against Iran’s allies in the resistance groups must be part of the memorandum, and it was added to the text.”
Muslim countries have an important role to play, adding, “They have now realised that cooperation with the US and Israel will not bring them security.”
Israeli Defence Minister Katz threatens Iranian leaders
Israel’s defence minister has claimed that his country assassinated Khamenei for allegedly leading a “plan to destroy” Israel and again threatened to “eliminate” any Iranian leader who tries to promote such actions, according to Israel’s Channel 13, as per Al Jazeera.
Israel Katz made the comments in response to the ongoing funeral procession in Tehran, the Israeli broadcaster reported.
Katz added that Israel remains prepared to defend itself at any time and against any threat.
Earlier, Katz said Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba, was “marked for death”, spurring an angry protest from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Trump “has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv”, adding, “Any threat against our people and leadership will receive an immediate, powerful response.”
Peace in Lebanon cannot happen without Tehran: Ghalibaf
Ghalibaf said that peace in Lebanon cannot hold unless Iran plays what he describes as its stabilising role in the region, according to Al Jazeera.
Iran’s top negotiator made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Muhammad Fneish, a senior Hezbollah official who travelled to Iran to attend Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies.
He said Tehran had made Lebanon a central issue in negotiations that led to the signing of the Iran-US MoU, according to Iranian media.
“We had a special emphasis on Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
He also praised Hezbollah’s fight against Israel in support of Iran during the US-Israeli war, describing it as a “turning point in history” that showed the “unbreakable bond” between Iran and the groups in the “axis of resistance”
Israel, Lebanon hold US-mediated talks on trial withdrawal from 2 border villages: Report
Israeli and Lebanese military officers have begun United States-mediated talks to establish clear criteria for a “Hezbollah-free zone” ahead of a planned Israeli withdrawal from two villages in southern Lebanon, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported Sunday.
Citing unnamed Israeli security sources, KAN said the contacts are aimed at preventing misunderstandings that could hinder implementation of the agreement, particularly following previous disputes over the definition of such areas.
In parallel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security consultation on Sunday with senior defence officials to discuss developments on the Lebanese front and the planned withdrawal.
Read: US-Iran deal may leave Netanyahu as biggest casualty
According to an unnamed Israeli official cited by the broadcaster, Israel is awaiting confirmation from the Lebanese army and the US Central Command (CENTCOM) that Lebanese forces are ready to deploy and assume control of the designated areas before the withdrawal begins.
The official said Israel has not yet started withdrawing from the two “pilot” areas and that the move is expected to begin in the coming weeks if the necessary arrangements are completed.
Under a US-mediated framework agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon on June 26, Israel agreed to carry out a gradual withdrawal from Lebanese territory, beginning with two trial areas.
Read More: US reports on Lebanon strikes ‘fake’
The agreement does not set a specific timetable for a full Israeli withdrawal. It links further redeployments to the Lebanese army assuming full security responsibility in the evacuated areas and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, in an apparent reference to Hezbollah.
Israel has continued military operations in Lebanon since March 2, killing more than 4,300 people and injuring over 12,000 others, according to official figures.
Israeli forces also continue to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war, while advancing more than 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory during the latest offensive.
