Israel and Iran Harden Stances on Lebanon Withdrawal, Threatening U.S.-Backed Deal

Tensions escalated sharply between Israel and Iran over the implementation of a recently signed memorandum of understanding with the United States, as both sides dug in on conflicting demands regarding Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei warned that continued Israeli operations in Lebanese territory would constitute a violation and "annulment" of the agreement, stating that diplomatic progress toward a final accord was impossible while Israeli occupation persisted. He emphasized that Iran could not accept abandoning its allies in Lebanon and that the war would effectively continue as long as Israeli forces remained in the country.

Israeli officials rejected Iran's ultimatum, with sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that the country had no intention of withdrawing from southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Force published an updated map showing its security deployment zone, which stretches up to 10 kilometers deep into Lebanese territory and has expanded since April, reaching toward the outskirts of Nabatieh. Israeli military officials stated that troops would remain in the designated operational area to counter threats from Hezbollah and protect Israel's northern residents. An official close to Netanyahu told Reuters that Israel had been conducting "stubborn negotiations" with the U.S. on maintaining its deployment.

The memorandum of understanding, signed this week, commits to protecting Lebanon's territorial integrity, but this clause has proven contentious as Israel refuses to cede ground to Hezbollah, which has long controlled much of southern Lebanon and has been launching missile and drone attacks into Israel. U.S. and Iranian negotiators were scheduled to meet Friday in Burgenstock, Switzerland, to begin talks on Iran's nuclear program and other disputes. According to the memorandum, negotiations are meant to yield a final agreement within 60 days.

Baghaei indicated that Iran viewed full implementation of the memorandum as requiring a complete cessation of Israeli attacks and withdrawal from Lebanese territory before meaningful progress could be made. He criticized the Zionist entity for refusing to provide opportunities for diplomatic resolution and assigned responsibility to the United States for obliging Israel to respect the agreement. Separate direct negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials on the withdrawal issue were also underway but faced significant obstacles, with Hezbollah refusing to recognize or abide by any resulting agreement, raising the prospect of renewed civil conflict in Lebanon.