Netanyahu rejects Lebanon withdrawal despite US-Iran deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that Israel will maintain its military occupation of southern Lebanon, regardless of the newly reached peace agreement between the United States and Iran.

Speaking in Jerusalem during his first public address regarding the diplomatic breakthrough, Netanyahu firmly asserted that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will remain stationed in what he designated as a "security zone," News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

"We have established strengthened security zones around Israel. We did this in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and we will remain in these security zones as long as necessary to protect our country," Netanyahu told reporters, adding that Iran's demands for an Israeli withdrawal from these buffers were entirely rejected.

The regional shakeup comes just a day after the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, announced a major memorandum of understanding to end the military conflict that erupted on February 28. While a formal ceasefire signing is scheduled for Friday in Switzerland—initiating a 60-day technical negotiation window—Netanyahu admitted that Israel is still completely in the dark regarding the final, specific terms negotiated between Washington and Tehran.

When pressed on the strategic outcome of the months-long conflict, Netanyahu clarified that directly overthrowing the Iranian leadership was never an explicit objective of the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Tehran. Instead, the prime minister claimed the true intention of the operation was merely "to create conditions" that could eventually facilitate the regime's ouster from within.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada