Iranian officials welcome Lebanon ceasefire, reiterate support for Resistance

TEHRAN – Iran has welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah Resistance movement in Lebanon, hailing the agreement as a significant victory for the Lebanese Resistance and a humiliating defeat for Israel. 

The ceasefire took effect on Wednesday at 4 a.m. local time in Lebanon (0200 GMT).

The Iranian Foreign Ministry, through spokesman Esmail Baghaei, reaffirmed Tehran’s unwavering support for Lebanon’s government, people, and Hezbollah, emphasizing their longstanding diplomatic efforts to end Israeli aggression. 

Baghaei condemned Israel’s actions, citing the immense human cost – about 50,000 dead, 120,000 injured, and over 3.5 million displaced Palestinians and Lebanese – alongside the widespread destruction of infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon.

He linked the ceasefire to ongoing international legal processes, referencing the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) rulings against Israel’s genocidal acts and the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli leaders accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

Baghaei argued that global public opinion, fueled by these legal actions and the harrowing extent of Israeli crimes, had demanded an end to the violence and accountability for those responsible. He further stressed the international community’s responsibility to maintain regional peace and stability by pressuring Israel to cease its aggressive actions.

The Iranian embassy in Lebanon echoed these sentiments, congratulating the Lebanese people and the Resistance movement on their “significant victory.” The statement highlighted the sacrifices made by the Lebanese and underscored the ceasefire as a major turning point, both politically and militarily, demonstrating the nation’s resilience in confronting external aggression.

The embassy specifically acknowledged the late Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah’s promises and paid tribute to the martyrs of the Resistance Axis. Nasrallah was martyred in September, during an Israeli airstrike on Beirut. 

Furthermore, Major General Ahmed Vahidi, former commander of the IRGC Quds Force, declared the ceasefire a resounding defeat for Israel, a sentiment echoed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who expressed relief at the cessation of Israeli attacks on Lebanese civilians. 

Reports show Lebanese civilians displaced by Israeli airstrikes are already returning to southern Lebanon following the ceasefire. Most of them wave Hezbollah flags to cameras and hold placards of the group’s martyred leaders. 

Hezbollah opened a support front for Palestinians in Gaza only a day after the Israeli regime unleashed its genocidal war against the besieged territory last October.

The exchange of fire remained limited between Hezbollah and Israel, until the regime decided to up its attack, beginning its new wave of violence by exploding thousands of pagers across Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he planned to root out Hezbollah and decimate its military capabilities. While Israel managed to assassinate top figures of the group, the military strength of Hezbollah remains intact.