Iran says deal with US ensures Lebanon’s sovereignty, Israeli attacks would violate terms

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei says the memorandum of understanding signed with the US ensures respect for Lebanon’s territory and sovereignty.

Baghaei tells the Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese news outlet Al Akhbar that “the continuation of the Zionist entity’s attacks on Lebanon will be a violation of the pledges contained in the memorandum.”

He charges that “the Zionist entity does not want to provide any opportunity for any diplomatic path to calm the situation in our region.”

“Washington is responsible for obliging the Zionist entity to respect the pledges made in the agreement,” he adds.

Baghaei tells Al Akhbar that the memorandum determined that the US and Iran “will negotiate exclusively on the nuclear file and the lifting of sanctions.”

The apparently limited talks come in contrast to the core declared goals of the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28, including destroying its missile program and creating the conditions for the Iranian public to overthrow the regime in addition to ensuring that Iran does not attain nuclear weapons.

“We will hold negotiations on the nuclear file and sanctions within 60 days, and if necessary, it will be extended,” Baghaei says.

“We have not sought to acquire nuclear weapons and we do not seek them either through their manufacture or through their purchase,” he states.