Netanyahu Hails Victory Over Iran, Rules Out Immediate Withdrawal From Lebanon

Benjamin Netanyahu hailed what he called a historic victory over Iran and ruled out any immediate withdrawal from Lebanon, saying Israel’s forces would remain there “for as long as necessary.”

“Senior administration officials said Monday that the Strait of Hormuz should be fully open by Friday”

ABC News

In a televised press conference on Monday, Netanyahu said Israel had “established deep security zones around the state of Israel,” adding that the approach was used “in Gaza, in Lebanon and in Syria.”

ABC News

The U.S.-Iran framework agreement has prompted dismay and anger in Israel, with the BBC noting that the full text had not yet been released and that questions remained about what the deal would mean for Lebanon.

While relative calm was reported in southern Lebanon on Monday, Reuters reported that an Israeli drone strike killed one person in Kfar Tebnit and that Hezbollah later said it attacked an Israeli force trying to advance in the same area.

Israel’s position on Lebanon remained firm even as the U.S. and Iran moved toward a broader truce, with Netanyahu telling Israelis the “fight is not over” and that Israel must “remain vigilant” in a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

The BBC reported that Netanyahu said Israel has to “remain vigilant” and that this includes remaining in a “buffer zone” Israel has created in southern Lebanon.

Al Jazeera

Iranian officials and Hezbollah framed the Lebanon front differently, with Al Jazeera reporting that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end “immediately and permanently as of tonight.”

Al Jazeera also quoted Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi saying negotiations for a final agreement would continue for 60 days, while NBC News warned that renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could “scupper the U.S-Iran deal.”

The stakes for Lebanon were laid out in terms of displacement and ongoing military activity, with Reuters reporting that Lebanon has suffered the deadliest spillover of the conflict and that nearly 3,800 people were killed and some 1.2 million people uprooted by an Israeli offensive against Hezbollah that opened fire on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2.

“United States President Donald Trump has announced what he has described as a “great deal” to end the war with Iran as officials in Tehran and Washington outline an agreement that would bring an immediate halt to hostilities after more than 100 days of conflict”

Al Jazeera

Reuters also said an Israeli drone strike on a car in Kfar Tebnit killed the driver and that Hezbollah fired drones and rockets at Israeli military vehicles trying to push deeper into southern Lebanon after the deal announcement.

In response to the U.S.-Iran agreement’s implications for Lebanon, Reuters quoted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issuing a statement saying he was grateful for de-escalation in Lebanon and appreciated the deal’s recognition of the importance of his country’s stability.

Meanwhile, the Guardian reported that Netanyahu’s decision to rule out withdrawal came alongside European brand scrutiny, as it said European fashion retailers were facing fresh questions after a fire at a factory that supplied them killed at least 33 garment workers in Bangladesh—an unrelated but contemporaneous reminder of how global attention can shift across crises.