‘Every choice has a price’: Speaker Qalibaf warns US, Israel over naval blocakde, Lebanon carnage
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has warned that the US naval blockade of Iran’s ports and Israel’s growing war crimes in Lebanon will come at a price for Washington and Tel Aviv.
In a post on his X account on Monday, Qalibaf said the US naval blockade imposed on Iranian ships and ports and the escalation of war crimes by the “genocidal Zionist regime” in Lebanon clearly show the US’s lack of compliance with the ceasefire.
“The naval blockade and escalation of war crimes in Lebanon by the genocidal Zionist regime are clear evidence of US noncompliance with the ceasefire,” he wrote.
The top Iranian negotiator in indirect talks with the US further warned against the consequences of continued violent acts, which would ultimately come at a cost.
“Every choice has a price, and the bill comes due,” Qalibaf said, adding, “It will all fall into place.”
The top Iranian parliamentarian’s warning comes amid Israel’s continued violations of the ceasefire agreement, including repeated incursions north of the Litani River, deadly strikes on civilian areas, and displacement orders targeting southern Lebanese communities.
These acts of aggression have caused significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure in Lebanon, despite the truce that took effect in April. The heightened tensions in Lebanon also increased concerns over the humanitarian and security consequences of continued hostilities in the region.
The Federation of Labor and Health Unions in the Bekaa Valley has issued a strong condemnation of the latest Israeli aggression targeting Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.
On April 8, forty days into the US-Israel-imposed war on the Islamic Republic, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire between Iran and the US took effect.
Negotiations ensued in the Pakistani capital Islamabad but stopped short of an agreement amid Washington’s maximalist demands and insistence on unreasonable positions, including a naval blockade it has imposed on Iranian vessels and ports.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday stated that a ceasefire in Lebanon is inseparable from any final agreement to end the war, amid the Israeli regime’s escalating assaults on Lebanon.
“Our region is facing continuous warmongering by the Zionist regime. This is not just about today or yesterday. Over the past 80 years, the Zionist regime, with US support, has waged a permanent and endless war against the countries of the region,” he said.
He noted that the developments of recent months constitute a “clear and flagrant violation” of the April 8 ceasefire.
