Iran Says It Is Reviewing Final Draft With the United States on Ending the War

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\r\n[Financial News] Iran said it is working on final wording adjustments for a peace deal with the United States. However, as it repeatedly calls for a ceasefire on the Lebanon front as a precondition for resuming talks and reaching a final agreement, the Lebanon issue is emerging as the biggest variable in Middle East peace negotiations.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in an interview with Lebanon's Al Mayadeen on the 3rd local time that "there is no official negotiation mechanism at the moment, but we are exchanging messages with the U.S. side."
He said, "Contact with the United States has not been cut off, but there has been no progress in the talks." He added, "Both sides are reviewing the exchanged drafts and are working to prepare a final agreement."
The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump recently said that "an end-of-war memorandum of understanding (MOU) could be signed even this weekend," suggesting that the two sides are continuing back-channel contact and fine-tuning the final wording.
Araghchi also said that Iran is demanding guarantees of its rights and an end to regional war as conditions for resuming talks. He stressed, "The rights of the Iranian people must be guaranteed, and the war against Iran, Lebanon, and the region must end."
He also said that "the fate of the war between Iran and the U.S.-Israeli camp cannot be separated from the direction of the Lebanon front," adding that "Iran has maintained its position that a ceasefire agreement must apply to all fronts, including Lebanon."
This shows that while the United States and Iran are discussing an end-of-war plan centered on Iran's nuclear program, sanctions relief, and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is trying to include the Lebanon issue in the negotiation package.
Araghchi explained that during the ceasefire negotiations, he also asked Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, to ensure that Lebanon was explicitly included in the end-of-war terms.
He also disclosed that he recently sent a warning message to the U.S. side about the possibility of an Israeli attack on Beirut. Araghchi said, "Two days ago, I sent a message to the U.S. side saying that an attack on Beirut must be stopped." He added, "An attack on Beirut would be a clear act of aggression, and we will not remain silent." He warned that "an attack on Beirut would have serious consequences and could lead to a full-scale resumption of war."
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km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter