Iran parliament speaker says ending war in Lebanon as important as ending war with Tehran

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Wednesday that ending the war in Lebanon is as important to Tehran as ending the war in Iran, according to ISNA news agency.

Speaking at the 20th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Qalibaf said “the ceasefire and ending the war in Lebanon is as important to us as the ceasefire and ending the war in Iran.”

“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding turned into a declaration of America’s defeat,” he said.

He added that Iran sees the future of the region “not in confrontation, but in interaction; not in imported security, but in local and shared security.”

“No country in the region will find its security in the insecurity of others,” Qalibaf said, adding that economic development and prosperity should benefit all peoples of the region.

He said Iran is ready to expand cooperation with all Islamic countries based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, good neighborliness and shared interests.

Qalibaf also voiced support for regional integration initiatives, saying Iran “fully supports any practical initiative to establish joint economic, commercial, financial, scientific and collective security mechanisms.”

“Iran is ready for security agreements with Islamic countries, especially the countries bordering the Persian Gulf,” he added.

The four-day conference, which began Monday, has brought together more than 400 delegates from member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Qalibaf’s remarks come as Iran continues negotiations with the US under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which includes provisions related to ending military operations across the region, including Lebanon.

The memorandum, signed electronically by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump, entered into force on June 18. Its first article states that Iran, the US and their respective allies commit to the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,100 people and injured over 12,000 others since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.

Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023–2024 war.