Lebanon Caught Between US-Iran Deal and Israeli Occupation as Ceasefire Wavers
A US-Iran agreement to end Middle East fighting leaves Lebanon in limbo: shelling persists, Israel says it will stay, and displaced civilians return to rubble.
A deal without full disclosure
The overnight agreement between Washington and Tehran, announced on 15 June, includes an immediate end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. Iranian vice foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the deal provides for 'the immediate and definitive end of the war and military operations on the various fronts, including in Lebanon.' Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun welcomed the accord as a step toward calm.
This agreement is a positive step towards lowering tensions and opens the way to diplomatic solutions.
Yet Lebanese officials admitted they were not informed of the terms. The full text remains secret, and US president Donald Trump has not publicly confirmed that the ceasefire extends to the Israel-Hezbollah front. Lebanon's speaker Nabih Berri, a key intermediary, said he received a call from Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi who insisted the clause stopping the war must be applied immediately and for the entire 60-day negotiation period.
Israeli pushback
Israel, which did not participate in the talks, reacted with defiance. Far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared that 'Trump's agreement does not bind us.'
We must not withdraw a single inch from the territory our soldiers have conquered and cleared of terrorist infrastructure.
Defense minister Israel Katz added the military would hold security zones in Lebanon indefinitely, a policy he said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had relayed to Trump. The rhetoric has dashed hopes that the Israel-Hezbollah war, which erupted on 2 March in solidarity with Iran, would subside.
On the ground
Fighting eased on 15 June but never stopped. The Lebanese army and Hezbollah cadres urged hundreds of thousands of displaced not to return. Those who did venture south found Israeli troops in their villages and turned back. Israeli drones buzzed over Beirut, artillery shelled the Nabatiyé area, and a strike on a vehicle killed one person. Houses were dynamited in Khiam. 'The war is not over,' many Lebanese felt.
- Hezbollah opens front with Israel in solidarity with Iran (sources differ, late February or 2 March)
- US and Iran announce ceasefire deal overnight, including Lebanon clause
- Lebanese officials welcome deal but say they were not informed of terms
- Israeli ministers reject withdrawal, defense minister says troops stay
- Cautious return of displaced amid continued artillery fire; one killed
- Signing ceremony planned in Geneva
Political fallout
Hezbollah thanked Iran for including Lebanon and portrayed the deal as a victory. Its unofficial spokesman, mufti Ahmad Kabalan, called for a new government. The Shiite movement's supporters had 'endured great suffering in silence,' the group said. But the state's exclusion from the negotiations highlights the fragility of any truce. Beirut has conducted separate talks with Israel since April under US auspices, but they never halted the violence. The death toll stands at 3,798, according to the latest official count.
What comes next
A signing ceremony is scheduled for Friday in Geneva, but without Israeli buy-in, the accord's implementation is in doubt. Analysts warn that the Lebanon front could unravel the regional process. For now, the biggest question mark hangs over the Israeli troops still occupying Lebanese territory, and whether the guns will quiet or roar again.
