President Isaac Herzog said Monday that negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington on Tuesday, and insisted that Hezbollah's disarmament must be an inseparable part of any solution. Speaking at the JNS Policy Summit, Herzog added that the conflict must be resolved through direct talks between the two countries, not through 'Iranian extortion.'
President Isaac Herzog set the Israeli stance ahead of renewed U.S.-mediated Israel-Lebanon talks, which he said will resume in Washington on Tuesday. Speaking at the JNS Policy Summit on Monday at 11:10 Jerusalem, Herzog was unambiguous: Hezbollah's disarmament must be part of any final arrangement, and the negotiations must stay between Jerusalem and Beirut — not extend to Iran.
Herzog's remarks follow a prior SAME-THREAD bulletin from earlier Monday, in which the president called Trump a reliable partner and insisted the Lebanon conflict be resolved through direct talks. That report, published at 10:16 Jerusalem, framed the same diplomatic push. The context also includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's discussion with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday about Hezbollah disarmament and the ceasefire (June 19), and Israeli defense establishment pressure to fast-track the talks (June 16).
Herzog's language — specifically the characterization of Iranian influence as extortion and the linkage of disarmament to any agreement — signals that Israel expects the U.S.-led process to produce a tangible outcome on Hezbollah's military capabilities. The direct mention of Washington as the venue confirms that diplomatic momentum is shifting to the U.S. capital after weeks of preparatory contacts. No additional details on the expected format, delegation composition, or timeline for the talks were provided in the president's remarks.
2 developments
- StrongIsrael-Lebanon talks open Tuesday in Washington on Hezbollah disarmament, IDF withdrawal
- StrongPresident Herzog tells Fox News: 'How can you talk peace when Hezbollah hijacked Lebanon?'
- DevelopingHerzog says in Arabic: if you make peace and dismantle Hezbollah, I may consider pardoning Netanyahu
- StrongTrump says he hopes the Lebanon situation can be resolved, acknowledges Hezbollah
Source and signal
- Internal intake