Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reportedly urged Hezbollah to accept a ceasefire agreement that would require the group to remain north of the Litani River in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
Senior Supreme Leader adviser Ali Larijani delivered this message to Hezbollah during a recent visit to Beirut, according to two individuals affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who spoke to The New York Times.
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The message from Khamenei emphasized that Iran supports ending the conflict with Israel and is willing to help Hezbollah recover from the ongoing war.
Iran’s strategic interest in halting the fighting stems from the need to prevent Israel from further weakening Hezbollah, a key Iranian ally in the region. Analysts believe that Iran might be calculating that, following a ceasefire, it could help rearm and rebuild Hezbollah’s capabilities in southern Lebanon.
Historically, Iran has supplied weapons to Hezbollah through Syria, suggesting that any post-ceasefire rearmament effort would require measures to block these arms transfers. Without such measures, Hezbollah could quickly regain its military strength.
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This report, if accurate, indicates the extent to which Iran is either unable or unwilling to escalate its support for Hezbollah in direct confrontation with Israel.
Iran was similarly unable to prevent Israel from significantly degrading Hamas’ forces during the recent conflict in Gaza, and now appears hesitant to fully back Hezbollah in its fight against Israel.
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