Iran has made the establishment of a clear timetable for the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Lebanese territory a central condition for a final and durable agreement with the United States. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated on Sunday that the complete implementation of the first clause of the June 18 memorandum of understanding — which calls for an end to military operations — requires the removal of what Tehran terms the “Zionist regime” from Lebanese land. The demand was framed as essential for preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the dignity of its people, and was presented as consistent with the principles of the United Nations Charter.

According to Iranian officials, the demand for a withdrawal timeline is not new but has been a consistent element of Tehran’s position since the April ceasefire understanding and the subsequent June memorandum. Baqaei emphasised that Washington must take all necessary measures to compel Israel to halt all aggression and military operations across all Lebanese regions. The Iranian position, as articulated by chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf in a call with his Lebanese counterpart Nabih Berri, is that ending the war, enabling displaced persons to return, and securing an Israeli withdrawal are being pursued “with determination”. Qalibaf noted that discussions in Switzerland last week focused on this issue, and that a conflict monitoring unit involving Iran, the US, and Lebanon has been agreed upon to oversee implementation following Iranian objections to alleged violations.

Viewed from Washington, the memorandum’s first article calls for “the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon,” but does not explicitly mandate an Israeli troop withdrawal from the south. The US-facilitated process has instead focused on a gradual handover of zones in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), an arrangement agreed to by the Israeli and Lebanese governments on Friday. However, the LAF has so far been unable to compel Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, to disarm or withdraw its fighters from the area, a fact that Israeli officials cite as justification for maintaining a military presence to protect northern communities from ongoing threats.

From the Lebanese perspective, the priority remains the restoration of state authority over all territory and the return of displaced populations. The speaker of parliament, Nabih Berri, has been a key interlocutor, with Iranian officials reaffirming their support for Lebanon’s sovereignty. The broader diplomatic context involves a 14-point understanding reached after weeks of regional military escalation, with the first clause on ending the war in Lebanon now the subject of intense negotiation. The next steps are expected to centre on the operational details of the newly established conflict monitoring unit and whether a withdrawal schedule can be agreed upon, as Tehran continues to insist that a final accord hinges on this condition.