Iranian FM Araghchi: Iran and Lebanon Are 'Linked' — War Cannot End Without Israeli Withdrawal From South; Oil Rises ~2% on Day 96 Escalation — Day 96

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated publicly on June 3, 2026 (Day 96) that Iran and Lebanon are 'linked' — the conflict will not end unless Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon. Iran's Parliamentary Security Commission chairman separately told Hezbollah officials that ending the war 'on all fronts, especially in Lebanon' is the 'forefront' condition of any Iran-US ceasefire. The double statement reinforced Iran's explicit linkage of the Lebanon military campaign to the nuclear/Hormuz diplomatic track, first announced on June 1 (Day 94). Oil prices rose approximately 2% on the day's escalation — a combination of the IRGC's airport strike, the US counter-strike on Qeshm, and the sustained diplomatic stalemate. Bloomberg published an analysis on June 3 titled 'Why Strait of Hormuz Blockade Is at Heart of US-Iran Peace Deal Stalemate,' documenting how Day 96's military exchanges had further entangled the Hormuz closure with the Lebanon-Iran diplomatic linkage.