How Lebanon, Hormuz and nuclear tensions are testing fragile US-Iran deal
The heated debate in Tehran revolves around whether the agreement can absorb external shocks without collapsing into renewed confrontation — or whether it is structurally closer to a managed pause in a continuing cycle of escalation.
TEHRAN — The US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at de-escalating months of confrontation is facing early complications, with overlapping pressures from renewed violence in Lebanon, disrupted diplomacy and escalating hard-line rhetoric inside Iran.
Only two days after the presidents of the two nations signed the deal, questions are being raised over how the memorandum will hold up under regional and maritime tensions.
At the center of the pressure is Lebanon, where Israeli strikes on southern areas have intensified. The Israeli military said on Friday that it had hit dozens of Hezbollah-linked targets, as Lebanese authorities reported significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attacks, according to state media, with spokesman Esmail Baghaei highlighting the US government's commitments under the memorandum's provisions relating to the cessation of conflicts. Tehran has described the clause on Lebanon as an inseparable part of the agreement, signaling that continued fighting could have direct implications for the deal's implementation.
