TEHRAN, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Iran announced on Monday the creation of a new mechanism involving mediators to oversee efforts to end the war in Lebanon, as Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected any ceasefire that allows Israel to continue military operations or maintain forces on Lebanese territory.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the mechanism was agreed as part of talks with Washington in Switzerland and would involve a deconfliction cell aimed at ending military operations in Lebanon.
The US and Iran also agreed on a 60-day roadmap toward a final agreement, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Technical negotiations are expected to continue in Switzerland, while a senior committee will oversee mediation and working groups dealing with Iran’s nuclear program and US sanctions.
Baghaei said progress had been made on authorizing Iranian oil exports and releasing frozen Iranian assets, which Tehran considers essential for moving toward a final agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks had achieved “significant progress” toward ending the war in Lebanon.
The announcement followed remarks by Qassem, who said a ceasefire could not mean halting Hezbollah’s fire while allowing Israel to attack, advance or kill anywhere in Lebanon.
“This is a continuation of the aggression, not a ceasefire, and we will not accept it,” he said.
Qassem said any genuine ceasefire must end Israeli attacks by air, land and sea, halt demolitions and prevent Israel from consolidating its presence in occupied Lebanese areas.
He also rejected the continued presence of Israeli forces or the establishment of security zones inside Lebanon, saying the Lebanese army was responsible for protecting sovereignty and deploying across the country.
His comments came after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue occupying what he called a “security strip” in southern Lebanon.
Israeli war minister Israel Katz and army chief Eyal Zamir have also said Israel does not intend to withdraw from the buffer zone.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks since March 2, 2026, have killed 4,106 people, wounded 12,153 and displaced more than one million.
