Fear of Further Damage to Hezbollah; Tehran's Efforts for a Ceasefire in Lebanon

On Friday, November 25, Reuters reported, citing a senior Iranian official, that the Islamic Republic has shown a willingness to change its stance and accept a ceasefire following Israel's "heavy blows" to Hezbollah's existence. Reuters also reported that two senior political sources in Lebanon stated that the U.S. ambassador in Beirut presented a draft ceasefire plan to Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, who is endorsed by Hezbollah for negotiations, during the visit of Ali Larijani, the envoy of Ali Khamenei to Lebanon. Ali Larijani, former Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and current advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, implicitly rejected the possibility of the Islamic Republic opposing the U.S. ceasefire plan, stating, "We do not intend to destroy anything. We are seeking solutions to problems." He added, "We support the Lebanese government under any circumstances. Those who fan the flames are Netanyahu and his associates." Najib Mikati, the Prime Minister of the interim Lebanese government, also emphasized in his meeting with Larijani that supporting Lebanon's position in implementing Resolution 1701 and stopping "Israeli aggression" is a priority. Larijani reiterated, "Iran supports any decision made by the Lebanese government, especially the implementation of Resolution 1701." This comes as Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, about a month ago reaffirmed the terrorist attack by Hamas forces on Israel on October 7, 2023, calling Israel a "vampire regime" and the United States a "mad dog" in the region, stating that the Islamic Republic will take any necessary action "with power and determination" against Israel. Since late summer, Israel has launched ground and air attacks against Hezbollah in central and southern Lebanon. Israeli officials have stated that the aim of these attacks is to restore security to northern areas of the country and push Hezbollah back behind the Litani River in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Global powers, in line with Israel, emphasize that any ceasefire in Lebanon must be based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. According to this resolution, Hezbollah must move its weapons and forces north of the Litani River, 20 kilometers from the border. Hezbollah, established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has always received financial and military support from the Iranian government.