Iran to respond if Israel attacks Beirut, talks with US still ongoing: Araghchi

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned that Iran would respond if Israel attacks Beirut, saying Tehran has informed all parties that it will not tolerate an assault on the Lebanese capital and that such a move could trigger a return to war.

In an interview broadcast by Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen on Wednesday (local time), Araghchi said Iran’s armed forces are prepared to respond and remain ready to strike Israel if Beirut comes under attack.

Araghchi accused Israel of violating the ceasefire in both Iran and Lebanon in recent days, adding that Iran considers the fate of Lebanon and Iran inseparable in the current conflict, and that any ceasefire or settlement must encompass both countries, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said communications between Tehran and Washington have continued through exchanged messages, though no major progress has been made. He added that both sides are reviewing texts that have been exchanged and working toward a final formulation.

He reiterated that Iran seeks “peace and security based on dignity and honour” and does not seek war, stressing that Tehran has responded positively to requests for negotiations. However, he said Iran’s armed forces are ready to resume military operations at any moment and possess the capability to sustain a long war.

Iran and the United States have, over the past weeks, reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for peace through Pakistan’s mediation, and are working to finalise a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war.

However, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Monday that Tehran had halted the exchange of messages with Washington via mediation in protest against Israel’s latest actions in Lebanon. Hours later, US President Donald Trump denied the report, saying US-Iran talks “are continuing at a rapid pace.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had carried out missile and drone attacks on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, in retaliation for the overnight US attack on an IRGC communications tower on Iran’s southern Qeshm Island.

IANS