An Israeli minister has reportedly issued a veiled threat to the US, saying that Washington will soon find itself “on a collision course” with Tel Aviv over its peace agreement with Iran.
The statement was made by Israeli culture and sports minister Miki Zohar, who criticised the United States’ handling of negotiations with Iran.
“The conduct of the US at this moment regarding the Iranian issue is not good. They do not internalise who they are dealing with. The US will find itself on a collision course with Israel in the near future, and our response to the US will not be automatic. Our security interest will dictate the military move,” Zohar was quoted as saying by an Israeli news site, according to an Al Jazeera report.
Israel and the US, the staunchest allies of each other, have publicly fallen out over Washington’s MoU with Iran to end the West Asia war, which began on February 28 and sent the global economy into a tailspin. Both countries have also disagreed on Israeli actions in southern Lebanon.
The member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet also expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war.
“A US agreement, in my opinion, will not solve the nuclear weapons issue, and the war phase will return faster than people think,” Zohar added.
The US-Israel fallout
One of the most controversial parts of the 14-point US memorandum with Iran concerns Lebanon. The agreement calls for the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” It also says that both sides are committed to preserving Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The document leaves several important questions unanswered. Israel is not a signatory to the agreement. The deal is between the US and Iran, while the war in Lebanon involves Israel.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has asserted that Israeli military forces will maintain their presence in southern Lebanon, declaring that Tel Aviv will not pull back its troops despite potential diplomatic pressure from Washington.
In remarks carried by The Times of Israel, Katz explicitly stated that the military would remain positioned in the region “even if there is an American demand.”
Addressing the status of the security zone, the Defence Minister also ruled out the immediate resettlement of displaced Lebanese civilians, stating, “200,000 residents will not return.” Katz cited historical security challenges encountered in past operational zones, which, he said, heavily informed the government’s decision to retain a military foothold across the northern border.
“What happened in the past in security zones, where there was also a civilian population [present], was roadside bombs and attacks against the soldiers, and therefore we will not allow that,” Katz noted.
This position aligns with a high-level development on Tuesday, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt General Eyal Zamir, and Northern Command chief Major General Rafi Milo held a telephonic conversation and, in a joint statement, reiterated that the IDF will continue acting decisively “against threats” in Lebanon.
“The IDF will continue to act decisively to thwart threats to our soldiers and civilians, destroy terror infrastructure, and continue maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu, Katz, and Zamir said in the joint statement.
Israeli forces have seized a swathe of southern Lebanon during the war that was ignited when Hezbollah opened fire at Israel in a show of support for Tehran, days after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
A ceasefire has largely held since Sunday, the longest lull in the fighting yet. But Israeli forces are still deployed deep inside southern Lebanon, citing the need to shield northern Israel from Hezbollah attack.
