Iran’s Supreme leader sets ‘Primary Conditions’ for ending war with US

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has declared that the “preservation of Lebanon’s territorial integrity and the absolute, unconditional termination of the Zionist regime’s aggression are the primary conditions for any agreement to end the imposed war against the aggressive US” .

In a letter to Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Iranian leader described Hezbollah as standing “like an unyielding rock as the forerunner of groups engaged in jihad against the savage aggression of the Zionist regime and its supporters” . He also affirmed that the Islamic Republic considers the defense of Hezbollah fighters to be its “strategic mandate” .

The remarks came as part of a wider diplomatic backdrop, with a trilateral framework agreement signed by the US, Israel, and Lebanon on June 26 establishing a process for the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its infrastructure in exchange for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory .

The Khamenei statement follows the June 15 finalization of an Iran-US memorandum of understanding, which brought a permanent halt to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and ended the US naval blockade against Iran .

The new trilateral framework agreement has been described by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a “first step” on a difficult journey, with a “trust, but verify” mechanism requiring Lebanon to demonstrate that it can effectively rein in Hezbollah . However, the agreement has faced opposition from within Lebanon. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah warned that Lebanese authorities would not be able to enforce the disarmament commitments without triggering conflict, stating that Hezbollah would “hold on to its weapons even more” .

Netanyahu has previously claimed that Israeli forces have pushed Hezbollah back 5 to 8 miles from the border and destroyed approximately 94 percent of its missile arsenal . Nevertheless, with Hezbollah and its Iranian backers setting firm conditions and opposing the framework’s core terms, the path to a final resolution remains fraught with challenges.