The difficulty of reaching an agreement between Iran and the United States is increasing with Tehran confirming on Friday its support for the Lebanese Hezbollah group, while in the same context, calling on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon. This comes as the war continues to expand in the Middle East, where, in addition to Lebanon, residents of the Gaza Strip, northern Israel, and Kuwait were bombed this week.

Published on: 06/05/2026 - 21:41

Iran expressed its continued support for the Lebanese Hezbollah group, and called on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon, in a position that highlights the magnitude of the challenges facing reaching an interim agreement that puts an end to the broader conflict between the United States and Iran.

Tehran requires reaching a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as an entry point to any peace agreement with Washington aimed at ending the war that has been going on in the region for four months, and returning shipping traffic to normal through the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest escalation between Hezbollah and Israel came in early March, two days after the attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran, while the group confirmed that its operations were in support of Tehran.

In statements he made to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel on Thursday evening, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “This war will not stop unless it stops in Lebanon as well.”

Araqchi stressed that ending the war in Lebanon must coincide with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they controlled.

These statements come after Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected a US-brokered agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government to stop the fighting in Lebanon. The agreement did not include an Israeli withdrawal, and Hezbollah was not a party to the negotiations.

Israel continues to launch strikes in southern Lebanon, and says that its forces will not withdraw or stop its operations in the country, amid increasing disagreement with Washington in this regard.

The Hezbollah group said on Friday that it had carried out two attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, one of them near Beaufort Castle, which Israel had recently taken control of. Lebanese security services reported that Israeli air strikes targeted towns across southern Lebanon.

Fighting across the region

Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader, said that Hezbollah "made great sacrifices during the most recent war and is our ally. Therefore, we support Hezbollah and remain firmly committed to our duties toward it."

In statements reported by the semi-official Mehr News Agency, Rezaei warned Israel against implementing its threats to resume strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

He added, "Today we once again warn this evil regime that it must leave Lebanon. They must realize that Lebanon will be an integral part of any agreement or ceasefire."

Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and an ally of Hezbollah, said on Friday that he would agree to the group’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon on the condition that Israeli forces withdraw at the same time from the lands it controls in the country.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of using Lebanon as a "pressure card" in negotiations with the United States, and described this in statements he made to CNN as "unacceptable."

In Washington, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he believes progress is being made in Lebanon and that the country deserves to enjoy peace, adding, "This situation has been going on for a long time, as you know."

In addition to Lebanon, residents in the Gaza Strip, northern Israel and in Kuwait were bombed this week, despite ceasefire agreements arranged by the United States, which Trump said would lead to a “reduction in the fire” and not a complete halt to the fighting.

Iranian naval forces said on Friday that they fired warning shots at American warships in the Gulf of Oman to confront “acts of sabotage, maritime harassment, and hijacking of commercial ships and oil tankers.”

Earlier, American forces said that they had boarded an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, stressing that they would continue to intercept "ships that provide material support to Iran."

US Central Command denied Iran's accusations and said in a statement on X: "Iranian forces did not attack or fire on American warships. Doing so would constitute a grave violation of the ceasefire."

In the Sultanate of Oman, two informed sources said that an attack believed to have been carried out by a drone led to the suspension of oil loading operations at Mina Al Fahal after an explosion, before operations resumed normally.

Temporary agreement

After the United States and Israel began war on Iran on February 28, Iran launched missiles and drones at Gulf countries that host American bases and largely halted shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trade through this waterway is still at a low level compared to its previous levels, as before the war, about a fifth of the world's supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas passed through it.

The conflict led to higher oil prices and disrupted supply chains for other products. The United Nations World Food Program warned Friday that rising fuel and transportation costs are pushing millions of people to the brink of hunger.

The United States and Iran are conducting largely indirect negotiations to reach an interim agreement to stop the war, which would postpone addressing issues including Iran's nuclear program until later negotiations.

Tehran seeks that any agreement include obtaining billions of dollars in oil revenues, exemptions from sanctions imposed on crude exports, lifting the US blockade on its ports, and strengthening its influence over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump, facing domestic pressure over an unpopular war, said his top priority was preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran asserts that its nuclear program is peaceful.

Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, said on Friday that uranium enrichment is his country’s right, and that Trump did not understand that Iran’s “most powerful atomic bomb” is the Strait of Hormuz.

France 24/Reuters

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