TEHRAN: The ceasefire already in place between Iran and the United States is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon, Iran’s top diplomat said on Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered attacks on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.
“Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Iran blamed the slow pace of efforts to end the US-Iran conflict on a lack of trust, contradictory positions from Washington and continued Israeli attacks in the region.
“Negotiations have started amid severe suspicion and mistrust, and the exchange of messages is taking place in this atmosphere,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, adding that the two countries had not yet reached a final conclusion.
“The other party is constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands (…) it is natural that this situation will prolong negotiations,” he said.
Baghaei said that if contradictory messages were part of a US negotiating tactic, they would not work with Iran, while if they reflected disarray within the US administration, Washington should reach a clear and definitive position as soon as possible.
Baghaei added there had not yet been any negotiations over the details of the nuclear file, and said Tehran is pursuing its core demand for the release of its frozen funds.
The US said it struck Iranian military sites at the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday it had targeted a US base in Kuwait in response.
“Learn from the past and do not let the US and Israel use your capabilities against Iran,” Baghaei warned regional countries.
