Qalibaf warns Israel attacks could halt peace talks

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned Tuesday that Tehran will stop peace negotiations and confront Zionist regime directly if attacks on Lebanon continue, insisting any Iran-US agreement must include a halt to attacks on all fronts. 

In a phone call with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Qalibaf, who chairs Iran's negotiating team in the Pakistan-mediated talks with Washington, said the bond between Iran and Lebanon is unbreakable. "Our lives and yours are one," he said.

"Any agreement to end the war between Iran and the US will include a cessation of attacks on all fronts, especially Lebanon," Qalibaf said.

He added that over the past two days Iran has been pursuing an end to Israeli attacks against Lebanon "with seriousness," and warned, "If the crimes continue, we will not only stop the negotiation process but will stand against the Zionist regime."

Berri, for his part, thanked Iran for its efforts to halt Zionist regime’s crimes, saying Lebanon will never forget Tehran's positive positions at this critical stage.

The call comes as Zionist regime’s strikes have intensified across southern Lebanon, martyring and wounding scores and displacing hundreds of thousands, according to Lebanese officials. Iran has repeatedly condemned the attacks and called the US an accomplice.