Hezbollah officials say Iran has insisted it will only sign a deal with the US if the pact includes an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Al Jazeera reports the demand applies to the next phase of US–Iran talks and may be an end-point rather than an immediate condition. Israeli leaders say their forces will remain in regional "security zones," while Hezbollah's deputy leader claims Iran secured an "immediate and permanent end" to operations on all fronts.
Iran Conditions US Deal On Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon, Hezbollah Says
FILE PHOTO: A woman walks on wreckage of destroyed buildings caused by Israeli air strikes on the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre. (is associated with: «Hezbollah: Iran will only sign deal with US if Israel leaves Lebanon») Stringer/dpa
A senior Hezbollah official told dpa on Tuesday that Tehran has made it "very clear" it would only sign an agreement with the United States if the deal included an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. The official described the demand as one of Iran's "top priorities," and called Tehran Hezbollah's most important backer.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported that Iran's pledge to Hezbollah relates to the next phase of negotiations with the US, saying an Israeli withdrawal would be imposed as a condition for talks — "not necessarily for the first phase but as an end point." Israeli observers suggested this condition may apply to a possible final agreement between Washington and Tehran rather than the immediate framework reportedly due to be signed in Switzerland.
Political and Military Reactions
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Monday that Israel's military would remain in designated "security zones" in the Gaza Strip, southern Lebanon and Syria "as long as necessary." The comment underscores the gap between Iran's reported negotiating demands and Israel's stated security posture.
Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem said: "Iran has achieved the immediate and permanent end of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon." He called this the "first and fundamental clause" in the framework agreement between Washington and Tehran.
The claim from Qassem frames Iran's role as delivering security guarantees to Hezbollah and Lebanon. However, Israeli officials and analysts remain cautious about the scope and timing of any commitments tied to a US-Iran deal, and they distinguish between a short-term framework accord and any final, comprehensive settlement.
What To Watch
- Whether the framework expected in Switzerland includes provisions related to regional forces and territorial withdrawals.
- How Washington responds to Iran's reported condition and whether the withdrawal demand is treated as an immediate term or a long-term end point.
- Reactions from Israel and Lebanon, where any agreement that affects troop deployments will have direct security implications.
All parties involved face complex diplomatic and security trade-offs. The coming days and the text of any framework or final agreement will be crucial to clarifying whether Iran's reported demand becomes a binding element of US-Iran diplomacy.
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