Iran issued a sharp warning on Wednesday that any military strike on Beirut would trigger a renewed regional conflict, as diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon continued in Washington.

Speaking to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen television network, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States cannot be separated from developments in Lebanon.

“The fate of the war between Iran and the Zionists (Israel) and Americans is inseparable from the fate of the battle in Lebanon, and these two fronts have been intertwined since day one,” Araghchi stated during an interview with the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen TV.

Araghchi also warned that Tehran is prepared to respond militarily if Israel targets the Lebanese capital, making clear that Iran views Beirut as a red line.

“Any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and will lead to a full-scale resumption of the war,” he continued, adding Iran’s “armed forces are ready to strike Israel if it attacks Beirut”.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that any diplomatic effort to resolve the broader regional conflict must include an end to military operations in Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Araghchi reiterated that, from Tehran’s perspective, a lasting end to the fighting can only be achieved if Israel completely withdraws its forces from Lebanese territory.

“The end of the war in Lebanon also means the end of the occupation. That is, the end of the war must be accompanied by the withdrawal of the Zionist regime’s forces from the areas they have occupied,” Araghchi told the television station.

The comments came as Israeli and Lebanese representatives met in Washington for a second consecutive day of direct talks under American mediation. The discussions marked the fourth round of negotiations between the two sides.

Following Wednesday’s session, the United States, Israel, and Lebanon announced that progress had been made toward a ceasefire arrangement. In a joint statement, the parties said they had agreed on a truce “contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector”.

The current diplomatic effort follows an earlier meeting held on April 23, attended by Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

After that initial round of talks, President Donald Trump expressed optimism that Israel and Lebanon could achieve peace before the end of the year.

Trump also said he would like to host a meeting in Washington between Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun within the next few weeks.

Aoun, however, has indicated that such a summit is not currently under consideration, maintaining that ending the fighting must come before any direct political engagement between the two leaders.

The Lebanese president has also emphasized that a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon remains a “non-negotiable” condition for reaching any final agreement.

{Matzav.com}