Israel Vows Open-Ended Lebanon Security Presence as Iran Links Wider Deal to Ceasefire
Jerusalem – Israel said on Sunday its troops would continue operating without restrictions inside a security zone established in southern Lebanon and would remain deployed there indefinitely, while Iran said progress toward a broader agreement with the United States depended on ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military had standing orders to act against any threats encountered in Lebanon and reiterated that Israeli forces would not withdraw from the security zone extending roughly 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory.
“There has never been, and there is currently no restriction on IDF soldiers in Lebanon from acting to eliminate threats,” Katz said in a statement, adding that both he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made clear that Israel would maintain its presence in the area.
The comments underscored continuing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier despite diplomatic efforts involving Washington and Tehran to halt hostilities across multiple fronts in the region.
Iran, which backs Hezbollah, said later on Sunday that implementation of provisions related to ending the conflict in Lebanon was a prerequisite for advancing negotiations with the United States on a final agreement following a deal reached earlier this week.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran could not move into the next phase of negotiations unless commitments regarding a cessation of hostilities were fulfilled. In a post on X, he said the termination of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, remained essential to further diplomatic progress.
Baghaei also said the situation in Lebanon would dominate discussions with U.S. officials in Switzerland, alongside issues including frozen Iranian assets and Iranian oil exports.
“The Zionist regime continues to violate its commitment in Lebanon, and this issue will be the main topic of discussion in today’s talks,” Baghaei said in remarks carried by the IRNA state news agency.
Tehran announced on Thursday that it had reached an agreement with Washington aimed at ending months of hostilities that began on Feb. 28 following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. Under the arrangement, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was also expected to cease.
Iran’s military said on Saturday it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to what it described as ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, adding another layer of uncertainty to regional security and energy markets.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, there were no reports of new strikes in Lebanon after Saturday evening. Baghaei said a “fragile cessation” of hostilities had been in place since Saturday.
The latest exchanges highlight the central role of the Lebanon conflict in wider regional diplomacy, as efforts continue to stabilize tensions following months of military confrontation involving Israel, Hezbollah, Iran and the United States.
