Iran FM warns any attack on Beirut will trigger 'full-scale resumption of war'

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Wednesday that any attack on Beirut would trigger a “full-scale resumption” of the Middle East war, as Israel pressed its campaign against Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that any deal to end the wider Middle East war – which its ally Hezbollah joined on March 2 – must also halt the fighting in Lebanon.

“The fate of the war between Iran and the Zionists (Israel) and Americans is inseparable from the fate of the battle in Lebanon, and these two fronts have been intertwined since day one,” Iranian news agencies quoted Araghchi as telling Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV.

“Any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and will lead to a full-scale resumption of the war,” he continued, adding Iran’s “armed forces are ready to strike Israel if it attacks Beirut”.

Also read: Gulf tensions escalate as Iran hits Kuwait, US strikes near Hormuz

He also insisted that for the war in Lebanon to end, Israeli forces must get out of the country.

“The end of the war in Lebanon also means the end of the occupation. That is, the end of the war must be accompanied by the withdrawal of the Zionist regime’s forces from the areas they have occupied,” he told the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese broadcaster.

His comments came as Israeli and Lebanese diplomats were to hold a second day of direct talks in Washington.

They are part of a fourth round of talks since the fighting in Lebanon erupted when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.

Hezbollah is sharply opposed to the direct negotiations.

Speaking ahead of the talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US broadcaster CNBC that he and Trump shared the goal “to disarm Hezbollah and… to demilitarise Lebanon”.