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Lebanese FM: Nasrallah Agreed to Temporary Ceasefire Days Before Assassination

A Hezbollah supporter holds a placard with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah next to the rubble of a completely destroyed building in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 October 2024. EPA/JOAO RELVAS
A Hezbollah supporter holds a placard with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah next to the rubble of a completely destroyed building in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 October 2024. EPA/JOAO RELVAS
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Lebanese FM: Nasrallah Agreed to Temporary Ceasefire Days Before Assassination

A Hezbollah supporter holds a placard with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah next to the rubble of a completely destroyed building in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 October 2024. EPA/JOAO RELVAS
A Hezbollah supporter holds a placard with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah next to the rubble of a completely destroyed building in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb controlled by Hezbollah, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 October 2024. EPA/JOAO RELVAS

Caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has said that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a 21-day ceasefire just days before he was assassinated by Israel.

The temporary ceasefire was called for by US President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and other allies during last week’s UN General Assembly.

“He [Nasrallah] agreed, he agreed,” Habib told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview aired on Wednesday.

“We agreed completely. Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire but consulting with Hezbollah. The (Lebanese Parliament) Speaker Mr. Nabih Berri consulted with Hezbollah and we informed the Americans and the French what happened. And they told us that Mr. (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu also agreed on the statement that was issued by both presidents (Biden and Macron.)”

White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein was then set to go to Lebanon to negotiate the ceasefire, Habib continued.

“They told us that Mr. Netanyahu agreed on this and so we also got the agreement of Hezbollah on that and you know what happened since then,” Habib continued.

Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

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Iraq Initiates Contacts with Western Countries to Prevent Potential Israeli Strike

Sudani chairs a military meeting in Baghdad. (Government media)
Sudani chairs a military meeting in Baghdad. (Government media)
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Iraq Initiates Contacts with Western Countries to Prevent Potential Israeli Strike

Sudani chairs a military meeting in Baghdad. (Government media)
Sudani chairs a military meeting in Baghdad. (Government media)

The Iraqi government is making significant efforts to shield the country from the effects of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. Sources revealed that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has activated three internal and external strategies to prevent a potential Israeli strike on Iraq.
Concerns have grown since Iran launched hundreds of missiles at Israel on Tuesday night, some of which crossed through Iraqi airspace. Pro-Iran factions have also intensified their attacks on Israeli and US targets.
A senior official from Sudani’s office told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Iraqi government is "moving swiftly on three simultaneous fronts to avoid the repercussions of the war and keep the country away from its dangerous consequences."
These efforts involve diplomatic engagements with Iraq’s Western allies, especially the US and the UK, to convince them that Iraq is neutral in the conflict. The aim is to encourage them to pressure Israel to refrain from attacking Iraq. Additionally, Al-Sudani has assigned three influential figures, including a political-religious leader, to hold urgent talks with certain factions, urging them to remain neutral due to the increasing risks.
While the government is working with political leaders and some faction heads, analysts remain skeptical about its ability to influence more radical groups to stop their escalations against Israel. However, they note that these factions often target Israeli interests from outside Iraq.
Many fear that these groups may also resume attacks on US bases in the country, particularly following a recent attack on Victoria Base near Baghdad Airport, where US forces are believed to be stationed.
Iraq’s Islamic Resistance announced on Wednesday that it had struck "vital areas" in Israel, signaling that the factions remain committed to escalating the conflict.
On the eve of Iran's missile strike on Israel, Sudani visited the Joint Operations Command headquarters in Baghdad, where he met with senior security officials to review the country's security situation and the military’s readiness to address any potential threats. He instructed security forces to enhance their preparedness and capabilities.
However, security experts doubt Iraq’s ability to defend against a possible Israeli airstrike, given the country's weak ground-based defense systems.
In response to Iran's attack, Iraq's Resistance Coordinating Committee threatened to target US bases and interests if the US or Israel conducts any hostile actions, stating that all American bases in Iraq and the region would be considered targets.