Abbas Araghchi Says U.S.-Iran Deal Requires Israel Withdraw From Lebanon

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that a tentative U.S.-Iran deal to end the war would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, warning that “Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end.”

The condition is already rejected by Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary.”

Al-Manar TV Lebanon

The dispute is playing out as a signing ceremony for the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding is expected Friday at Switzerland’s Bürgenstock resort near the city of Luzern, with Switzerland saying the location was proposed by Pakistani and Qatari mediators along with the U.S. and Iran.

CBS News reported that Iran’s foreign minister said any Israeli forces remaining in southern Lebanon, or any Israeli strikes on the country, would constitute a violation of the U.S.-Iran deal.

CBS News also framed the parallel conflict in Lebanon as complicating President Trump’s efforts to end the war with Iran, with Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia asking, “Why were we in this war in the first place?”

As the Friday signing approaches, the U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a war powers resolution on Iran in a 47 to 48 vote, with CBS News reporting that Democrats lashed out at the Iran deal and demanded President Trump release the text of the memorandum of understanding.

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said he was tired of hearing the Iran war was over from the Trump administration and demanded the president release what is in the memorandum of understanding, telling reporters on Capitol Hill, “Now it's been two days since Trump claimed he had reached a peace deal, quote unquote, with Iran, but he still hasn't released any details at all of this so-called deal.”

AP News

CBS News added that Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy called the situation a “dumpster fire,” saying the president doesn’t want the public to see the agreement because it is “essentially a report card on what a disaster this war has been,” and Trump said he will release what is in the deal Friday when a ceremonial signing is scheduled.

The Guardian reported that Donald Trump rounded on Netanyahu at the G7 summit in Geneva, saying Netanyahu had to behave “more responsibly in Lebanon,” and it quoted Trump saying a recent Israeli bombing attack on Beirut was “vicious.”

DW reported that US Vice President JD Vance said the deal had already been signed digitally and that it includes a 60-day phase to agree the details of ending the war between the US and Iran, while also noting that Iran threatened retaliation if Israel does not stop carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon.

The sources describe the memorandum of understanding as setting up a second phase of direct talks, with CBS News saying the agreement “sets off a 60-day period for the two sides to negotiate a longer-term deal on the fate of Iran's nuclear program.”

“Iran says the deal to end the war with the US requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon Iran says the deal to end the war with the US requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s top diplomat said Tuesday that the tentative deal to end the war with the United States would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon — a condition Israel has already rejected and that could sink the agreement, leading to the resumption of all-out war”

AP News

DW similarly said the deal includes a 60-day phase and that “international nuclear inspectors will be allowed back in Iran,” while also reporting that the 14-clause memorandum of understanding has still not been published.

The Guardian reported that European leaders are concerned about the deal’s lack of detail and that Emmanuel Macron called for restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme, an issue not directly addressed in the deal.

The Guardian also said waivers of sanctions on Iranian oil sales would take effect immediately upon signing and that there is growing concern Trump has conceded that Iran, after 60 days, can charge “maritime service fees” on commercial shipping transiting the strait of Hormuz.

AP News added that the negotiations have been plagued by disagreements before, leaving the Strait of Hormuz “effectively shut,” while Reuters and other reporting in CBS News framed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as part of the deal’s immediate stakes.