The Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reports that the US has told Iran it is investing significant effort with the Israeli government but is encountering difficulties persuading it to carry out a full withdrawal from southern Lebanon, according to a single-source report. The report adds that Washington also requested help persuading Hezbollah to withdraw from the south, but Iran stressed that the matter is an internal Lebanese issue.
The Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported Monday morning that the United States has informed Iran of significant difficulties in convincing Israel to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon. According to the newspaper, attributed to diplomatic sources, the US conveyed to Iran that it is investing considerable effort with the Israeli government but has encountered obstacles to securing a full pullout.
Washington, the report continues, also requested Iranian assistance in persuading Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon. The Iranian delegation, however, countered that the Hezbollah issue is a purely internal Lebanese matter, adding that Tehran would not object to Lebanon and Israel reaching an agreement on a timeline for a rapid Israeli withdrawal.
The report, attributed to an anonymous diplomatic source in a single Hezbollah-linked outlet, is the latest in a string of diplomatic signaling around the stalled US-mediated negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. As The Zioneer reported Sunday, US diplomatic efforts tying Israeli withdrawal to Iranian de-escalation have been ongoing, and earlier Monday a senior Lebanese source said Washington informed Beirut of a planned limited withdrawal as a goodwill gesture ahead of Tuesday talks.
The competing framings — a US struggling to achieve full withdrawal vs. a limited goodwill gesture — still await official confirmation from US, Israeli, or Lebanese government sources.
- DevelopingReport: US trying to persuade Iran with offer tying withdrawal to de-escalation
- StrongTrump administration demands partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon
- StrongSenior source: US told Lebanon Israel will make limited southern pullout before Tuesday talks
- StrongIran demands full IDF withdrawal from Lebanon; Israel publicly rejects, says it will not retreat
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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