Iran Warns It Will Scrap US Deal Unless Israel Ends Lebanon Operations
Iran has warned it will cancel its agreement with the United States if Israel does not halt military operations in Lebanon, while US envoys head to Switzerland for follow-up talks amid fresh Israeli strikes that killed at least five people there.
Iran Conditions Deal on Israeli Withdrawal from Lebanon
Iran has stated that the agreement with the United States would be nullified if Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon. [1] This warning comes as part of broader conditions tied to the implementation of the pact. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei approved the deal with the United States despite holding reservations on some points. [1] The approval was conveyed without additional details on the final content of the agreement. These positions reflect Iran's insistence that any lasting arrangement must address the presence of Israeli forces in the south of Lebanon as a core requirement. [4]
Netanyahu Rejects Key Clause in US-Iran Pact
President Donald Trump sent Israel a copy of the agreement reached with Iran to end the war in the Middle East. [1] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the clause that requires an end to military operations in Lebanon. [1] Netanyahu stated that Israel does not consider itself bound by that element of the pact. [1] The rejection has heightened tensions because Iran has separately indicated that the overall agreement would lose effect if Israeli troops remain deployed in southern Lebanon. [1] This stance from Israel introduces new uncertainty into the regional diplomatic process.
US Envoys Travel to Switzerland for Iran Talks
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling to Switzerland for technical talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to advance the peace deal. [4] The meetings follow an earlier postponement of negotiations. [4] Iranian officials have conveyed to counterparts that a ceasefire in Lebanon is essential to the diplomatic process and could determine whether the US-Iran talks succeed or fail. [4] Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to arrive in Switzerland on Saturday, though those plans remain subject to change. [4] No new date for the negotiations has been set at this time.
Israeli Strikes Hit Lebanon After Ceasefire Announcement
At least five people were killed in Israeli air strikes and drone attacks in southern Lebanon hours after a renewed ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect. [4] The strikes targeted the Nabatieh area, destroying residential buildings and homes, while artillery shelled Nabatieh and its outskirts. [4] These attacks threaten to derail the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which includes an article stating that ending the war in Lebanon forms an integral part of the broader ceasefire arrangement. [4] The incidents occurred just as the diplomatic efforts to cement the wider deal were resuming.
Humanitarian Funds Unfreezing Planned for Iran
The United States and Qatar are working to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian funds held in Qatar to allow purchases of food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods. [5] The purchases would be made by Iran’s central bank using cash from oil sales that have been frozen overseas due to sanctions. [5] This step is intended as a financial incentive under the deal to end the war. [5] The framework could serve as a precedent for releasing additional Iranian funds in the future, including a first pool of $24 billion that Tehran has sought to access immediately. [5] Negotiations over the funds in Qatar began in late May.
Trump Denies Large Payment to Tehran
Donald Trump rejected reports claiming that the United States would make a payment of $300 billion to Iran as part of the agreement. [1] He described such reports as Democratic propaganda aimed at spreading disinformation about the negotiations. [1] Trump has emphasized that no such transfer is planned under the terms reached with Iran.
What to watch next: Further developments in the Switzerland technical talks between US envoys and Iranian officials, along with any additional steps on the unfreezing of funds held in Qatar, will indicate whether the conditions on Lebanon can be resolved to sustain the memorandum of understanding.
