ISTANBUL, JUNE 21 — An Iranian delegation will leave for Switzerland to follow up and demand implementation of commitments by the other side, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Iran’s Fars news agency.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said: “In Switzerland, we are ready to press for the implementation of the commitments of the parties on the other side and to determine how they intend to fulfill those obligations.”
“If some of the commitments on the other side are not implemented, this entire understanding will face difficulties,” Baghaei said, adding that Washington must take appropriate steps “as soon as possible to avoid this agreement being undermined.”
“We did not sign this commitment so that it would not be implemented; our approach is commitment met with commitment,” he stressed.
The Iranian official also warned that Tehran would respond “with necessary measures” if “the other side refuses to fulfill their commitments”.
The ISNA news agency, citing his statement, reported that the Iranian delegation would depart “within a few hours”.
The spokesperson said the trip “does not mean the start of the second phase of negotiations; rather it aims to follow up on the implementation of the commitments that have been agreed.”
“The commitment is very clear, and the first clause of the memorandum of understanding covers the most important part of the mutual commitment between the two sides – which is to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Baghaei said.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that the death toll from Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon since early Saturday morning has risen to at least 28 people, despite the enforcement of the ceasefire and the US-Iran agreement.
The country’s Health Ministry announced that the number of casualties from Israeli airstrikes since Friday has risen to 83 people, while more than 140 others have been injured.
Based on data from Lebanese authorities, Israeli military attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed at least 4,057 people, injured more than 12,000 others, and displaced more than one million people.
The latest attack came after Israel’s Channel 12 on Friday quoted an unnamed official as confirming that a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah had come into effect at 4pm local time (1300 GMT).
A senior US official also confirmed the implementation of the ceasefire in a statement to Anadolu.
On Wednesday night, Washington and Tehran electronically signed a 14-point agreement to end the war, the text of which was published by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
— BERNAMA-ANADOLU
