Israel's ambassador to the US stated Tuesday that Israel has no intention of withdrawing from southern Lebanon and the security zone, pushing back against diplomatic pressure as Friday's signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding approaches, according to Israeli media.
Israel's ambassador to the United States declared Tuesday that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon or the security buffer zone, according to an Israeli media report that did not name the ambassador directly but was linked to official sources. The statement comes as the clock ticks toward Friday, the scheduled signing date of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding — a track on which the Lebanon issue has emerged as a central sticking point.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday, Ambassador Yehiel Leiter stated that Israel will remain deployed in southern Lebanon to protect its citizens. Monday saw Israeli officials insisting that understandings with Iran will not compel a withdrawal from Lebanon, separating the nuclear track from the northern theater. The ambassador's remark reinforces that line, rejecting any diplomatic linkage between a US-Iran deal and IDF operations south of the Litani.
The ambassador also warned that Israel should prepare for an escalation in President Trump's public criticism of Israel as Friday approaches, noting that 'the Israeli interest must prevail over Trump's tantrums.' That assessment — attributed to the same source — frames the coming days as a test of Israeli resolve on the diplomatic front, even as security officials in Jerusalem continue to emphasize that no withdrawal plans have been drafted and that the IDF is deepening its southern Lebanon campaign.
4 developments
- StrongIsrael insists no withdrawal from Lebanon under understandings with Iran
- DevelopingSenior US official: Israel won't be asked to leave Lebanon until final Iran-Lebanon deal — at least 60 days
- DevelopingWhite House official: Withdrawal from Lebanon not part of emerging deal
- DevelopingUS official: Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon not a condition for Iran deal, self-defense right retained
Source and signal
- Internal intake