Joseph Aoun Hopes US-Iran Deal Ends Israel-Hezbollah War With Permanent End To Hostilities

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday he hopes a prospective agreement between the US and Iran to end the Middle East conflict will also bring a permanent end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

In a statement issued by his office, Aoun said, "I appreciate that this memorandum respects Lebanon's sovereignty and acknowledges that Lebanon's stability and security are an integral part of any serious effort to establish stability in the region," as he described the Lebanese people as hoping for practical steps that "finally put an end to the cycle of violence."

Al Jazeera

Aoun’s remarks were echoed in another report that framed the same memorandum as affirming that "Lebanon's security and safety are an integral part of any effort to consolidate stability in the region."

While Aoun expressed hope for a definitive end to the conflict, the same coverage also carried Israel’s position that it would not withdraw from land occupied in Lebanon as the interim deal between Iran and the United States is pending.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Israel’s defense posture would not change, telling reporters that the IDF won’t withdraw from land occupied in Lebanon, and another report said Katz plans to stay “indefinitely” in lands it holds in Lebanon, as well as Syria and the Gaza Strip.

In the same reporting, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir denounced the US-Iran interim deal, saying, "We must not settle for anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah."

Al-Jazeera Net

A separate account of Hezbollah’s internal stance said a Hezbollah source expressed gratitude to Iran, saying it was "able to reach a solid agreement, knowing that a return to calm in Lebanon was an essential condition for this agreement."

That Hezbollah source also said the militia does not intend to bring down the Salam government and argued that it has "more important issues to address, such as unifying the Lebanese position in order to move towards indirect negotiations," while accusing the government of “giving in to American pressure and making gratuitous concessions to the Israelis.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in telephone conversations that Iran is committed to stopping Israel's war on Lebanon, while attributing to the United States the responsibility to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire memorandum signed between Washington and Tehran.

Araqchi stressed the necessity of respecting Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the Lebanese presidency said Aoun welcomed the understanding as a "positive step" toward reducing tensions and opening the door to diplomatic solutions.

The same coverage also tied the stakes to the scale of the conflict, stating that since March 2, Tel Aviv has been waging a wide-scale aggression on Lebanon, resulting in 3,783 dead and about 11,700 injured, in addition to more than one million displaced, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

In parallel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the occupation army will remain in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria "as long as it is necessary," and he said he does not know the details of the agreement between the United States and Iran while reiterating his commitment to continue occupying Lebanese areas.