TEHRAN, April 16. /TASS/. Establishing a ceasefire in Lebanon is just as important to Tehran as establishing a ceasefire in Iran, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told his Lebanese counterpart Nabih Berri.

"I am constantly monitoring the situation in Lebanon and the establishment of a ceasefire in that country. This issue is of the utmost importance to us. During and after the talks in Islamabad, we are also seriously striving to compel the opposing sides to establish a permanent ceasefire in all conflict zones in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. A ceasefire in Lebanon is just as important to us as a ceasefire in Iran," the Iranian state broadcaster quoted him as saying.

Israel has been conducting a military operation against Hezbollah since March 2, when the pro-Iranian Shia group began striking Israeli territory in response to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli Air Force has been attacking targets across Lebanon, and ground forces have been advancing in the south of the country. The stated goal is to establish a buffer zone south of the Litani River to shield northern Israeli settlements from shelling. The Israeli government had previously announced its intention to completely destroy all Lebanese border villages and barred hundreds of thousands of local residents, who had been evacuated to northern Lebanon, from returning home.

On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad. The Iranian delegation was led by Ghalibaf, and the American delegation was headed by Vice President JD Vance. Both sides later reported that they were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement of the conflict due to a number of contradictions. The prospects for advancing dialogue between Tehran and Washington remain unclear. The US imposed a naval blockade on Iran on April 13.