Iranian officials celebrated the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as a victory, in spite of the Iran-backed group being at its weakest point since its foundation over 40 years ago.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that Hezbollah had “shattered the myth of Israel's invincibility” during the conflict, forcing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to beg for peace despite extensive US support.
“Over the past year, Netanyahu has drained American taxpayers of tens of billions of dollars for his war crimes and enjoyed full military and political support from the US government," he said on X.
“However, after suffering heavy losses in southern Lebanon, he was forced to beg for a ceasefire. Once again, Hezbollah has shattered the myth of Israel's invincibility."
He did not mention anything about the assassination of the group's top leadership, including long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed in a precision strike in Beirut in September. Around 3,000 Hezbollah operatives are also believed to have been killed in the operations, according to the Israeli military. According to Reuters, the number could be as many as 4,000.
Araghchi also framed the ceasefire as a turning point, urging Israel to recognize its defeats in both Gaza and Lebanon.
In Gaza, Israel has also dealt critical blows to Iran-backed Hamas with the group splintered into a guerrilla force after more than a year of Israeli bombardment has destroyed masses of its infrastructure. The Israeli military asserts that over 17,000 Hamas operatives have been killed since last year's offensive began.
At least 1,500 Hezbollah operatives, Iran's largest ally in the region, were also killed in a two-day operation by Israel which saw simultaneous explosions of walkie-talkies and pagers, an attack which seriously hindered the group, deemed a "terrorist" organization in countries such as the UK and US.
On Wednesday, a US- and France-brokered 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, aiming to halt 14 months of intense conflict sparked by the Gaza war. Hezbollah has, since October 8 last year, fired over 17,000 projectiles towards Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza, which invaded Israel on October 7 last year.
The agreement mandates a 60-day cessation of hostilities, during which both Israeli and Hezbollah forces are to withdraw from southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers assuming control of the area.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps echoed the Iranian claims of victory. "The ceasefire on the Lebanese front is a strategic and humiliating defeat for the Zionist regime which did not even come close to achieving any of its evil goals and ambitions in the war against Hezbollah," he said, according to Iran's Press TV.
Following the Israeli ground incursion last month, many Hezbollah cadres fled southern Lebanon.
Fighters had “left the area” without demonstrating “meaningful defensive operations”, according to the Institute of the Study of War (ISW), a US-based conflict think tank.
A report by the NGO said: “Hezbollah fighters do not appear to be defending against Israeli forces in these [southern] villages as the Israeli forces have consistently encountered weapons caches and infrastructure formerly used by Hezbollah fighters that left the area”.
The institute said it was “unclear why Hezbollah is not conducting meaningful defensive operations in response to Israel’s ground operations”.
Some Iranians on social media are making fun of the claims of victory, enumerating Hezbollah's losses and Tehran's own requests for a ceasefire.
The talks scheduled for November 29 were announced following a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, condemning Tehran's lack of transparency and violations of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
While the United States has stated it will not participate in the November 29 talks, some Iranian observers, including Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, a former member of the Iranian parliament's foreign policy and national security committee, have expressed skepticism. Meshkini remarked, "Europeans do not make decisions on Iran's nuclear program independent of the United States. Their foreign policy aligns with US policies and priorities."
Meshkini warned that Iran should not enter the talks without a clear objective, adding that Tehran should avoid "negotiations for the sake of negotiating."
The hardline daily Kayhan, closely aligned with the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has emphasized that "while the talks are essential, the Pezeshkian administration should not be involved in the negotiations." Kayhan criticized the government for ignoring "the Europeans' hostile actions against Iran and the IAEA's recent resolution, which was drafted by the very countries Iran plans to negotiate with."
The paper further accused the administration of "repeated retreats" from its positions while the West continues to disregard the Pezeshkian administration's "optimistic overtures." It also noted that European nations have failed to acknowledge Pezeshkian's victory in Iran's presidential election. Kayhan warned that some might view the government's approach as "a treacherous disregard for past experiences that have harmed Iran's national interests."
The daily characterized "negotiations with Europe as a mistake" and reiterated that talks with the EU-3 are bound to fail.
The upcoming negotiations are set to take place two years after the last round of talks between Iran and European nations. However, this is not a high-level meeting, as deputy foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss "a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues," according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
The broad scope of the talks suggests that the agenda extends beyond Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, the moderate news outlet Khabar Online described the talks as an effort by Iran to reduce tensions with Europe.
Iranian media have also lauded the role of former Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, now a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei, in shaping diplomatic developments with Europe and the Middle East. Larijani was the first to propose negotiating with Europe and the United States in recent weeks. Observers have also noted his involvement in brokering the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Politician Ali Mohammad Namazi told Nameh News website that Larijani went to Syria and Lebanon with an important mandate from Khamenei and conducted some successful negotiations. Namazi said that Larijani's political comeback was significant and meaningful. He added that what brought him back to the forefront of Iranian politics included the prospect of a change in relations between Iran and the United States, and the tensions in Lebanon and Gaza that brought Iran very close to an all-out war with Israel.
He highlighted Larijani's experience as a former secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security from 2005 to 2007 and suggested that Pezeshkian, who maintains good relations with Larijani, should consider asking him to assume that role once again for Iran.
Reformist figure Mohammad Ali Abtahi echoed this sentiment, describing Larijani's recent mission to Lebanon as marking "a strategic shift in Iran's foreign policy" in the region. Similarly, another reformist, Mohammad Atrianfar, argued that Larijani should be reappointed as the secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of National Security, citing his pragmatic approach and his potential to facilitate the resumption of ties between Iran and the United States.