Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 25, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 25, 2026
IRGC chief: Israel must withdraw entirely from Lebanon or be ‘forced to flee in defeat’
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Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force, Gen. Esmail Qaani, chants a slogan "Death to Israel" during the funeral ceremony of the late IRGC Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut in late September, in Tehran, Iran, October 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Israel must withdraw on its own from Lebanon’s entire territory or be “forced to flee in defeat,” the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force Esmaeil Qaani says, according to state media.
Last week, the United States and Iran signed an interim deal ending hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, and pledged to ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, with Tehran claiming this means Israeli troops must leave southern Lebanon.
Israel has forcefully resisted the idea that it must withdraw, and has vowed to stay in a security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.
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