Hezbollah Rejects US-Backed Ceasefire Plan as Israel Continues Lebanon Strikes

Tehran — Esmail Qaani, commander of the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Thursday that Israel must withdraw from its current positions in southern Lebanon as a minimum condition for ending the ongoing conflict involving Hezbollah.

In a statement posted on a domestic social media platform, Qaani said support for Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance remained a responsibility for Muslims and described Israel’s withdrawal as an achievable objective.

“The minimum demand of the resistance is the withdrawal of the Israeli regime to the positions it held before the start of the 40-day war,” Qaani said.

His remarks come amid continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and growing diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire. Iran has repeatedly linked any broader regional settlement to an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Tehran is a key backer of Hezbollah, which has been engaged in cross-border hostilities with Israel since the conflict intensified earlier this year.