As the clock ticks toward the Friday signing of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, tensions between Hezbollah and Israel grow, threatening to scupper any long-term peace deal ending the war
Fears are growing US President Donald Trump’s peace settlement with Iran could be derailed by Israel, after it vowed to keep troops in Lebanon indefinitely.
It is widely believed ending hostilities with Israel’s northern neighbour is a key element for Tehran, and one upon which the new deal to be signed this week pivots. Throughout Monday afternoon there were reports of Israeli air-strikes and artillery targeting of Hezbollah areas in southern Lebanon in defiance of the forthcoming agreement.
This was within hours of Trump announcing a new peace deal, which will be a 60-day consultation period to be signed by both sides on Friday in Switzerland. One of the major demands Tehran has made repeatedly is that Lebanon – and therefore its proxy Hezbollah – is included in any long-term agreement over Trump’s war on Iran. But key Israeli politicians have insisted troops will not vacate southern Lebanon despite claims the US-Iran accord includes an end to fighting across Israel’s northern border. It has been reported areas in southern Lebanon were hit by Israeli artillery and air-strikes during Monday, signalling that Israel will continue to fight Hezbollah.
Iran has already warned it holds American responsible for any Israeli attacks on Lebanon, its foreign ministry saying: “We know Israel never takes any action without consultation and direct coordination with America. We hold America directly responsible if it fails to force Israel to submit to its obligations as part of the MOU, with necessary consequences.”
A British security source told the Daily Mirror: “There is increasing tension between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. Netanyahu wants to continue to hammer Hezbollah and is under immense political pressure to continue to do so – but this could threaten any deal on Iran as Tehran is seeking to extend any US-Iran agreement to Hezbollah.
“Israel has been cut out of this deal and it has infuriated the government there, which feels it needs to do as much damage to Hezbollah as possible as it is a big threat.|”
The Memorandum of Understanding will trigger a 60-day consultation period, opening the key Strait of Hormuz and beginning talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. Controversially it is also said to include hundreds of billions of pounds in war reparations, unfrozen assets and relief from crippling sanctions – in exchange for a stop in war-fighting. But crucially Tehran is believed to be insisting Lebanon – and therefore Hezbollah – is included in any deal, otherwise there will be no agreement.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Esmaeil Baghaei insisted Lebanon must be an integral part of the agreement. He said: “Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon is part of interim agreement with the US.” Defence Minister Israel Katz declared he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are insisting troops will remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. He said: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are leading a clear policy that determines that the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, without any time limit, to protect, from there, the border and Israeli communities against jihadist elements.”
Right-wing Likud member and Netanyahu ally Katz added: “If Iran attacks Israel because of events in Lebanon, we will strike it with full force.” Former Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz added: “The agreement signed with Iran appears to be a strategic failure that would force Israel to abandon a political, military and legal struggle that over the coming years could lead only to a broader regional war.”
But Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s Democratic Party, hit out at Netanyahu for allowing the agreement to exclude Israel, saying: “This morning Israeli citizens are waking up to an agreement between the US and Iran made over Israel’s head.” Trump lashed out at Israel’s latest attack on Hezbollah in Beirut’s suburb of Dahieh, in which three people were killed, saying: “It should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.”
