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Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has appealed to Iran to remain by the group's side, vowing to stay a "single unit" with Tehran, as international pressure mounts for the militia's disarmament. Source: infobae
In a recorded speech for Ashura, Qassem thanked Iran and said: "We want you to remain alongside us and we want to continue being a single unit." He framed the "new stage" as defeating "the Israeli project" and expelling "the Israeli entity from our land." Source: infobae
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gulf Cooperation Council states issued a statement reaffirming that Lebanon's "full sovereignty cannot be achieved while non-state armed groups maintain military capabilities outside state authority," demanding "complete disarmament." Source: infobae Israel has made a similar demand: government spokesman David Mencer said Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon "as long as Hezbollah remains a threat, are not disarmed and are not demilitarised." Source: cna Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated that Israeli troops are not retreating. Source: theguardian
While Israel and Lebanon are engaged in US-mediated talks in Washington, Iran has linked a ceasefire in Lebanon to its own deal with the US. A Lebanese official expressed scepticism, citing a "fundamental problem of trust." Source: cna Hezbollah has rejected the disarmament demands and urged the Lebanese government to withdraw from direct talks. Source: infobae
“Gracias, Irán. Seguiremos a vuestro lado. Queremos que permanezcáis junto a nosotros y queremos seguir siendo una misma unidad, porque ha quedado demostrado que vuestra fuerza, unida a la fuerza de los combatientes sobre el terreno, contribuye a crear el equilibrio necesario para avanzar hacia una nueva etapa”
“We will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat, are not disarmed and are not demilitarised”
“The IDF is prepared … and we are not retreating. We announced that in any case we are not withdrawing, and as of this moment – and this is a political achievement – there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon”
“There remains a fundamental problem of trust between us and the Israelis in these talks. We cannot fulfil their demands, and they reject all of ours”
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