Israel Outlines Trump's Position on Conflicts in Lebanon and Iran — CNN
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on June 30 that U.S. President Donald Trump, during ceasefire negotiations, allegedly linked the Lebanese and Iranian fronts of the conflict into a single negotiating package, taking U.S. interests into account.
The official expressed regret over this decision by the White House, as the Jerusalem administration had sought to treat these military campaigns as entirely separate conflicts. According to Katz, this move served exclusively the interests of the United States, which was eager to advance the negotiation process with Tehran and viewed the hostilities in Lebanon as the main obstacle on that path.
As a result, Lebanon significantly complicated the already ongoing contacts between the U.S. and Iran, as the Iranian leadership demanded the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the territory of the neighboring country before signing a final peace treaty with Washington.
For its part, Israel categorically refuses to leave southern Lebanon until the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah is completely disarmed. Israel Katz emphasized that the country has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but has received Washington’s consent and support for the long-term maintenance of military positions in the region.
To underscore the seriousness of these intentions, the minister cited statistics: the Israeli army has already destroyed 100% of the villages adjacent to the western section of the border, and about 73% of the settlements in the remaining border areas, meaning that at least 200,000 displaced persons from southern Lebanon will have no way of returning to their homes at all.
Katz also assured that Israel would not hesitate to resume full-scale war against Iran if Donald Trump announced the collapse of diplomatic negotiations, or in the event of an imminent new attack by Tehran. To curb Hezbollah’s aggression in the north of the country, Jerusalem plans to implement a tough policy of immediate retaliatory strikes against the Dahiya district in Beirut, CNN reports.
See also:
Israel struck Lebanon the day after the agreement was signed — Reuters
Israel announced the continuation of operations in Lebanon under certain conditions
