Israel says no withdrawal from Lebanon, Iran says money is expected before final talks

The Lebanese army on Monday warned residents of southern towns who fled during months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel not to return home yet.

In a statement on social media, the Lebanese Army Command stressed “the need for citizens to be vigilant and delay returning to villages and towns in the southern border area…

Israel’s Defense Minister said on Monday that the country will not withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, which it has been playing for weeks under the US-Iran agreement.

The Israel Defense Forces did not announce any new operations against Hezbollah on Monday, but Defense Minister Israel Katz noted in his statement that the area where Israeli forces are operating in southern Lebanon, “will be cleared of local residents and all terrorist infrastructure, above and below ground – including houses in the villages that served as terrorist bases – will be destroyed.”

Iran will still be able to charge commercial ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under a deal reached with the US, a source quoted by Iran’s official Fars news agency said on Monday, contradicting US officials on the deal.

Fars said Iran would allow free transit during the 60-day negotiations that began with the signing of the memorandum of understanding, but travel expenses could be applied after that period.

President Trump told The New York Times in an interview published on Sunday that the deal with Iran will ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is “not free forever.”

According to a source cited by Fars, the US negotiators have accepted the principle that Iran will charge fees for the use of the strait in the future under a plan that Iran and Oman, the two coastal countries on the waterway, will jointly manage.

Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published on Monday a list of 14 points it said were included in the cooperation agreement with the US, which is expected to be signed on Friday in Europe. That list includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days “under Iranian plans,” but does not specify whether tolls will be levied.

Neither US nor Pakistani mediators have released the text of the agreement.

The Lebanese Presidency has accepted the US-Iran cooperation agreement, which is said to include the cessation of all military activities on all sides, including the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Office of the President said “Lebanon hopes that this development will mark the beginning of a comprehensive process that will promote stability in the region, preserve the sovereignty of states and the rights of their people, and allow the Lebanese to focus on rebuilding the devastated areas and restoring their normal lives under a secure and stable environment.”

Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published on Monday a list of 14 points it says should be included in the cooperation agreement with the US, which is expected to enter into force after it is signed on Friday.

According to the IRGC, the agreement includes:

1. An immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities on all sides, including the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon
2. The commitment of the US not to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran and to respect the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic
3. Full lifting of embargoes on US ports and Iranian vessels within 30 days
4. The US commitment to withdraw forces from the region around Iran
5. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days under Iranian plans
6. Suspension of sanctions on the export of Iranian oil, petrochemical products and derivatives, and full Iranian access to revenues.
7. The US and its allies need to introduce plans to rebuild Iran worth at least 300 billion
8. 60 days of negotiations to reach a final agreement on nuclear issues and complete elimination of primary and secondary US sanctions, as well as resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and resolutions of the IAEA Board of Governors.
9. Iran reaffirms its commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to not develop nuclear weapons.
10. During the negotiations, the US undertakes not to increase its power in the region and not to impose new sanctions.
11. The release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds during the final 60-day negotiation period; half of this money must be found in Iran before final negotiations can begin
12. Establishing a monitoring mechanism to implement the agreement
13. The final agreement will be approved by a resolution of the United Nations Security Council
14. Discussions about Iran’s general missile program and support for opposition groups were conspicuously absent from the agenda.

Israeli officials said Monday that the country is not obligated to withdraw troops from Lebanon or stop fighting Hezbollah under the US-Iran deal.

On Friday, a senior Trump administration official told CBS News that Iran will not receive any of its frozen financial assets until the country demonstrates compliance with its obligations under the deal. That raises questions about timing given the IRGC’s claim that part of Iran’s seized funds will be handed over before final negotiations begin within a 60-day period.

“If they turn over the nuclear stuff as they promised, they get something. If they dismantle their nuclear programs or their nuclear facilities, they will get something else. If they really commit to regional peace and stability, they will get more things on top of that,” said the official, warning against taking the statements of the Iranian government and media outlets at face value, calling them “domestic propaganda.”

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Monday that the agreement between the US and Iran does not require Israel to stop fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“Trump’s agreement is not binding on us… we are not participating in this agreement. It does not protect our security,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on his Telegram channel.

“We must not allow anything less than the dissolution of Hezbollah. We must not withdraw from one place that our soldiers captured and removed from the terrorist infrastructure,” he said.

Israel’s defense minister said on Monday that Israeli troops would remain in Lebanon “forever” and opposed any withdrawal of troops from the southern regions of the country, where Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah have been fighting since shortly after the US and Israel began their war with Iran.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the government “leads a clear policy that the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will remain in security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza – indefinitely – to protect the border and Israeli settlements there against jihadist elements.”

The defense minister said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Trump of Israel’s intention to continue its presence in southern Lebanon.

“If Iran attacks Israel because of the events in Lebanon – we will attack it with all our power and clearly show it the power gaps,” Katz said in his statement.

Pakistan, a key mediator in the talks, said the agreement reached by the US and Iran included the cessation of military operations on all sides, including in Lebanon.

The United States and Iran will hold informal meetings in Doha this week ahead of the formal signing of a deal aimed at ending the Middle East conflict, a spokesman told AFP on Monday.

“Separate preparatory meetings with each side will now take place in Doha this week, before the official signing in Switzerland and the start of technical talks,” the spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive preparations.

President Donald Trump headed to the French Alps on Monday to meet with other world leaders at the Group of Seven summit after announcing a deal he said would end America’s war with Iran.

With the deal, Trump will arrive in Evian-les-Bains on Monday afternoon with the wind at his back to discuss the G7 leaders, including some who have been critical of his handling of the 15-week conflict that has led to a rise in global energy prices.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Trump Israel will not withdraw its troops from Lebanon and does not consider itself obligated to comply with the Lebanon-related parts of the US-Iran deal, Israeli news service Ynet reported, citing Israeli sources.

Ynet says that Netanyahu also told Mr. Trump Israel will continue to respond to attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah and hit Hezbollah itself.

Netanyahu received full support from his positions in the Israeli cabinet, Ynet said.

Qatari negotiators left Tehran after intense 17-hour talks that led to the deal being announced, according to a diplomat briefed on the development. Separate preparatory meetings with each side will be held in Doha this week, before the official signing in Switzerland and the start of technical talks, the spokesman said.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday issued statements in support of the US-Iran deal.

“I welcome the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, the result of a communication effort in which several partners contributed,” Macron wrote on social media. “I ask for its immediate and complete implementation by all combatants.”

Macron called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “The resumption of maritime traffic, without restrictions or taxes, is an important condition for the stability of the region and the world economy.”

Macron also said that France is “ready to play its part” in any agreement reached regarding Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

Starmer similarly wrote, “Attention must now turn to fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to ensure that the Strait is reopened and remains open fully and permanently, and that the detailed aspects of the nuclear deal are completed. We stand ready to support the technical negotiations that will begin now.”