Hezbollah Welcomes Iran-US Cease-Fire, Demands Full Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon

Hezbollah welcomed a framework agreement between Iran and the United States aimed at ending their military conflict, while saying it would continue what it described as Lebanon's defense until Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory.

In its first reaction, Hezbollah congratulated Iran on reaching a memorandum of understanding with the United States that resulted in a comprehensive cease-fire across all fronts, including Lebanon, and said the understanding should pave the way for the liberation of Lebanese territory, the return of prisoners and the reconstruction of areas damaged during the conflict with Israel.

BBC

Hezbollah also insisted that "Israel must understand that there is no return to the situation that existed before March 2," and added that it would not accept any violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and would remain committed to defending the country until full withdrawal is achieved and prisoners are returned.

The Daily Sabah report said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the United States and Iran had reached a peace agreement ending military operations on multiple fronts, including Lebanon, with a signing ceremony scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 19.

The same report said that since April, Lebanon and Israel have held direct talks under U.S. auspices in Washington, including four rounds of negotiations and a security meeting involving military officers from both sides, although Hezbollah has rejected recognition of those talks.

Israeli officials and U.S. officials framed the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding differently on the question of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, with Haaretz reporting that a senior White House official said it was not part of the pact.

Haaretz said the White House official’s position led Netanyahu to reiterate that despite the deal, Israel will not withdraw from its self-declared "buffer zone" held in Lebanon.

Daily Sabah

i24NEWS quoted a senior U.S. official telling the outlet that "Not a condition of the deal is Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon," and said the memorandum was signed by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday.

i24NEWS also said the deal is a ceasefire and would not be one-way, adding that "if Iran is not able to control Hezbollah and if they attack Israeli positions or Israeli towns, Israel will have the right to defend themselves and respond."

The Guardian reported that Netanyahu ruled out any immediate withdrawal from Lebanon, saying Israel’s forces would remain there "for as long as necessary," while also describing relative calm in southern Lebanon on Monday and saying Hezbollah’s attacks on Israeli military targets stopped just before midnight.

Lebanon’s political leadership and Hezbollah-linked messaging continued to clash over how any Israel pullout would be implemented, with Naharnet reporting that Speaker Nabih Berri said a phased, 60-day Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon is mentioned in the latest peace deal between Iran and the U.S.

“Hezbollah on Monday welcomed a framework agreement between Iran and the United States aimed at ending their military conflict, while reiterating that it would continue what it described as Lebanon's defense until Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory”

Daily Sabah

Naharnet said Berri rejected the so-called "pilot zones" proposed by Washington, saying "Lebanon consists of 24 districts, not 24 pilot zones," and he argued that the agreement is bigger than Lebanon and its implementation cannot be flouted.

In the same Naharnet report, Berri said: "This agreement is bigger than Lebanon and its implementation cannot be flouted as happened in the 2024 agreement, because U.S. President Donald Trump has take it upon himself."

The Daily Sabah report said Hezbollah urged Lebanese authorities and political forces to take advantage of what it described as a favorable regional and international environment "to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty and achieve national objectives through internal unity," and called for a unified national position to safeguard Lebanon’s interests and confront Israeli threats.

Against that backdrop, the Guardian reported that U.S. officials sought to reassure Israel that withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon was not a condition of the U.S.-Iran pact, while also noting that the apparent terms of the agreement still appeared to be a major setback for Israel and that Israeli media described an "abject failure."