Iran to Israel: Withdraw From Lebanon or Leave Defeated
According to official Iranian media, quoting the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, Israel must voluntarily withdraw from all Lebanese territory or be forced to flee in defeat, according to Reuters.
Last week, the United States and Iran signed a temporary agreement ending hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon. Both sides pledged to guarantee Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which Tehran interprets as requiring the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
Senior Israeli and Lebanese officials have denied that any Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon has taken place, after a U.S. official said that Israel had pulled back some forces from the area as a goodwill gesture toward the Lebanese government.
