Iran welcomed the end of Israel's military operations in Lebanon, after a ceasefire came into force on Wednesday between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hailing the news of the end of Israel's "aggression against Lebanon", foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei in a statement stressed Iran's "firm support for the Lebanese government, nation and resistance".
He also called on the international community to "exert effective pressure" on Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Later on Wednesday, Iranian top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi said Iran would "support" any decisions made by the parties in Lebanon.
"If (the) Lebanese government and Hezbollah are happy with this ceasefire we are happy too. We'll support that," Araghchi said during a press conference in Portugal.
Iran has made support for the Palestinian cause a pillar of its foreign policy since the advent of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
Israel dealt several significant blows to Hezbollah during the war, including killing the group's charismatic leader Hassan Nasrallah in September, as well as many other top-ranking officials.
While Iran officially celebrated the ceasefire, many citizens expressed doubts about the prospects for long-term peace.
"I hope that (the truce) will last," Mostafa, a student in Tehran who did not wish to give his full name, told AFP.
"But I don't think so, because they (the Israelis) are fundamentally looking for war," said the 22-year-old.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said the truce in Lebanon would allow his country to "focus on the Iranian threat", without elaborating.
Iran's top diplomat, in what appeared to be a response to Netanyahu's remarks, said "if the Israeli regime want to... concentrate on Iran they can try."
He added that Tehran was not looking for "escalation in the region", while saying that Israel was.
"Of course we are prepared for a war, for even a full-scale war, but this is not our reach, this is not our choice," he added.
Araghchi also said that the Iranians "deserve" the right to retaliate to an Israeli air raid on Iran in October, the most recent in a series of retaliatory attacks between the two countries.
With AFP
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