Hezbollah officials are publicly expressing confidence that Iran will ensure Lebanon is covered by any agreement reached with the United States, a senior Hezbollah politician said on Friday as hopes increased for a deal between Tehran and Washington.
The group, which was founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, became directly involved in the regional conflict on March 2 when it opened fire at Israel. That escalation prompted an Israeli offensive that, according to the reporting, has resulted in thousands of deaths in Lebanon.
Iranian officials have repeatedly sought an end to fighting in Lebanon to be included in any broader agreement with Washington. Addressing that point, Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, said in an excerpt of a speech broadcast on the group's al-Manar TV: "If the agreement happens, we have complete confidence in the Islamic Republic ... we have confidence that it will insist on any agreement including the file of Lebanon."
On the ground, Israeli forces remain active across parts of southern Lebanon. Lebanon's National News Agency reported fresh Israeli airstrikes on Friday targeting several towns and villages in the region, underscoring the continued intensity of the conflict there.
Diplomatic channels have signalled possible near-term movement. A Western source said a memorandum between the United States and Iran to halt the war in the Gulf could be signed as soon as Sunday, while noting that the wording of the memorandum was still being finalised. The source added that Iran continues to insist the deal must include provisions to end fighting in Lebanon.
Comments reflecting Tehran's position were echoed last week by Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader. Rezaei was quoted by the semi-official Mehr news agency as saying Hezbollah had "made great sacrifices" in the war and asserting that Lebanon "will be an inseparable part of any agreement and any ceasefire."
Despite repeated announcements of ceasefires mediated by the United States, hostilities in Lebanon have persisted. The United States has been involved in talks between the Lebanese and Israeli governments seeking a resolution, but Hezbollah is not a participant in those negotiations and has demanded that the Lebanese government withdraw from the process.
Hezbollah rejected a U.S.-backed plan declared last week that would have been contingent on the group stopping fire and pulling its fighters out of southern Lebanon. That rejection highlights a key obstacle to any arrangement that would require the group's direct cooperation.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the situation on the ground and differences over terms remain sources of uncertainty. The group’s public statements of confidence in Iran’s role, combined with Iran’s insistence that Lebanon be included in any agreement, have kept Lebanon central to negotiations even as fighting continues.
Summary: Hezbollah says it expects Iran to push for Lebanon to be part of any U.S.-Iran agreement, while fighting and fresh airstrikes continue in southern Lebanon amid ongoing diplomatic efforts.