Iran welcomes Lebanon ceasefire, reserves right to react to Israeli airstrikes

LISBON: Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday that Tehran reserves the right to react to Israeli airstrikes last month on Iran but is also taking account of other developments in the region.

Araqchi told reporters during a trip to Lisbon that Iran welcomed Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and hoped it will be permanent. The ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday under an agreement brokered by the United States and France.

Asked whether the ceasefire could lead to an easing of tensions between Israel and Iran, he said: “It depends on the behaviour of Israel.”

“Of course, we reserve the right to react to the recent Israeli aggression, but we do consider all developments in the region,” he said.

Israel struck targets in Iran on Oct 26 in retaliation for an Iranian missile barrage against Israel on Oct 1.

Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said in an interview published on Sunday that Tehran was preparing to respond to Israel.

Although Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Hezbollah had been “set back decades”, Araqchi said the armed group had not been weakened by Israel’s killing of many of its leaders since January and by its ground offensive against the group since early October.

He said Hezbollah had been able to reorganise and fight back effectively.

“This is the main reason why Israel accepted the ceasefire … every time they (Hezbollah) lose their leaders or their commanders, they become bigger in both numbers and their strength,” he said.

His remarks echoed comments by a senior Hezbollah official, Hassan Fadlallah, who said the group would emerge from the war stronger and more numerous.

In a post on X, Araqchi said: “Hezbollah once again shattered (the) myth of Israel’s invincibility. High time for Israel to accept defeat in Gaza too.”

Separately, Iranian state media said Iran’s foreign ministry had rejected as “baseless” a statement by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries demanding that Tehran cease all support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow and Tehran have deepened their military and economic cooperation.