The IDF is preparing for the possibility that the political echelon will order a halt to ground operations in southern Lebanon as part of a developing agreement between the United States and Iran, according to security sources cited by journalist Itai Blumenthal. Israeli security officials stressed that the military will not withdraw from the security zone under the terms of the agreement with Iran; the issue of the zone's status will be discussed with Lebanese officials during talks scheduled to take place in the United States in a week and a half.
The report, attributed to Israeli security sources and disseminated by journalist Itai Blumenthal, indicates a significant diplomatic-military juncture on the northern front. The IDF is preparing operational options for a halt to ground maneuvers in southern Lebanon, contingent on a political directive. The emerging US-Iran deal, which has been the subject of intensive shuttle diplomacy, appears to include a Lebanese component. Israeli officials insist the security zone — the strip of southern Lebanese territory under IDF control — will not be abandoned as part of the Iran-track agreement, but its eventual status will be negotiated directly with the Lebanese side during talks scheduled in Washington in roughly ten days.
This development follows a period of intense diplomatic signals. As The Zioneer reported in a related thread earlier today, Al-Hadath reported that the US is pressing Israel for tangible breakthroughs in Lebanon talks. The US has reportedly confirmed to Iran that Lebanon will be included in the emerging framework, according to a Hezbollah-linked outlet. The security cabinet held a 3.5-hour session on Lebanon on June 9, and Israeli officials have expressed fear that Washington may seek to limit IDF operations in Lebanon as a gesture to Tehran.
2 developments
- StrongIDF within kilometers of Nabatieh, awaits political decision on offensive depth
- DevelopingIDF pushes into three new axes in southern Lebanon, sources report
- DevelopingIDF advances on Nabatieh direction from Arnoun, clashes and heavy shelling reported
- StrongIDF maintains strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake