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During an interview with Podium Plus, Iranian journalist Mohammad Gharawi stated that if Israel initiates a war on Lebanon, Tehran will view the offensive as a direct war on Iran. Gharawi explained that this deterrence doctrine applies to Lebanon due to specific provisions enshrined in bilateral strategic understandings, noting that an assault on other regional states would not automatically trigger the same direct military response. Elaborating on the legal and strategic framework, Gharawi noted that the first clause of their foundational memorandum of understanding explicitly incorporates the Lebanese front into Iran's core security architecture, meaning any Israeli violation of this clause compels a direct Iranian counter-response. At the same time, Gharawi asserted that the Lebanese resistance is neither legally bound nor strategically advised to join a war initiated solely against Iran, emphasizing that Tehran regards itself as strictly obligated to defend Lebanon alongside its own people.