Displaced people on their way to southern Lebanon, in Saida, on June 24, 2026. (Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc (Loyalty to the Resistance) praised Iran's role Thursday in the war between the militia party and Israel, saying the Islamic Republic played a crucial role in securing the cease-fire and urging Lebanese authorities to reject any direct negotiations with Israel.
In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc said that "the courageous and loyal stance of Iran imposed a cease-fire on the Zionist aggressor and its American ally in Lebanon," claiming that it also helped establish "a new equation in the region and in the world."
Hezbollah MPs said the support provided by the Islamic Republic to Lebanon "deserves recognition, respect, and gratitude from all Lebanese," and called on Lebanese authorities to "seize the opportunity of Iranian support, which imposed a cease-fire on the Zionist enemy and forced its American ally to commit to an impending withdrawal from Lebanese territory."
The Hezbollah parliamentary bloc also reiterated its "rejection of direct negotiations with the 'enemy,'" Israel, warning against any measure that would grant Israel "gains at the expense of Lebanon's sovereignty," and specifically denounced the "pilot zones" north of the Litani, as well as any possible link between Israeli withdrawal and prior conditions.
The parliamentary group also stressed the need for a "complete and immediate" Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the return of displaced people, the release of prisoners, and the end of "all forms of aggression" against Lebanon.
Qaani's threats
Earlier in the day, Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, declared that Israel must withdraw "of its own accord" from all Lebanese territory, including a zone of more than 620 square kilometers occupied along the border, or else be ousted militarily, according to Iranian state media cited by Reuters.
"Israel must leave all Lebanese territory of its own free will, otherwise it will be forced to flee in defeat," Qaani said. Qaani's statement came after confusion over an initial Israeli withdrawal from the South, announced by a U.S. State Department official but denied by Israeli and Lebanese officials.
Tehran, Hezbollah's sponsor, has made the Lebanese issue a central point of its negotiations with the United States, while Lebanon and Israel hold their own direct talks under U.S. auspices.
On June 17, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding ending hostilities on all fronts in the region, including Lebanon.
The agreement states that both parties "are committed to guaranteeing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon."
The issue of Israeli withdrawal is also at the heart of discussions in Washington, including the proposal to create "pilot zones" from which Israelis would withdraw in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese Army.
