Iran says ceasefire takes effect Friday, declares war over on all fronts

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi announced Tuesday that fighting has ended on all fronts, including Lebanon, and that a deal reached with the United States will formally take effect on Friday. Arakchi said the cessation of hostilities was the most important result of the first phase of the agreement and was officially declared on Monday morning. The foreign minister stated that the formal implementation of the memorandum of understanding will begin on Friday. He added that the nuclear file and the lifting of sanctions will be addressed during a 60-day negotiation period with the United States, with Iran placing its nuclear dossier and the removal of the embargo on the table in the final stage of the talks. Arakchi said one side of the memorandum covers Iran and Israel, while the other covers Iran and Hezbollah, and stressed that ending the war in Lebanon is a binding part of the agreement with Iran. He warned that any Israeli military attack on Lebanon or continued occupation of Lebanese territory would constitute a violation of the memorandum, and reiterated that the war was brought to an immediate and definitive end on Monday across all fronts, including Lebanon. The Iranian foreign minister also noted that Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory forms an integral part of the agreement. No further details on the implementation timeline or the next phase of negotiations were immediately available.