Israel vows to stay in Lebanon indefinitely despite US-Iran deal, as Trump blasts Netanyahu over near-miss airstrike
Israel’s defense minister declared troops will maintain an open-ended occupation of south Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, rejecting the US-Iran peace agreement that ended a months-long military standoff and reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The move came hours after President Trump’s furious call with Benjamin Netanyahu over a Beirut airstrike that almost scuttled the pact.
The US-Iran accord
On Sunday, the United States and Iran reached a provisional peace agreement after months-long negotiations, announced by Pakistan. The pact calls for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations on all fronts, including Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, and obliges Iran to refrain from developing nuclear weapons. In return, Washington will lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, and unfreeze $25 billion in Iranian assets held abroad.
Ships of the world, start your engines! Let the oil flow!
President Trump hailed the deal as a breakthrough. Vice President J.D. Vance clarified that the strait would reopen only after the agreement is signed. The signing is scheduled for Friday in Switzerland.
Israel rejects withdrawal
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared on Monday that the IDF will not leave the security zones it occupies in southern Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. In a statement, Katz said troops will remain “without any time limit,” the areas will be emptied of local residents, and all terrorist infrastructure, including underground tunnels, will be destroyed.
The IDF will remain in the security zones of Lebanon, Syria and Gaza without any time limit to protect the border and Israeli communities from jihadist elements.
He stressed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made this clear to Trump and other U.S. officials. Katz told U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth that Israel opposes any withdrawal.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, from the ultra-nationalist wing of the government, went further, insisting the U.S.-Iran accord does not bind Israel. “We are an independent and sovereign country,” he said, reiterating his demand for the complete dismantlement of Hezbollah and continued Israeli presence in conquered territories.
A near-miss and Trump’s fury
The deal almost collapsed hours before its conclusion because of an Israeli airstrike on the Dahye district of Beirut. Trump described the attack as “very small and insignificant” with no casualties, but was furious at Netanyahu.
What the hell are you doing?... I was furious. I let him know. He has not a shred of judgment.
Trump told Axios that the strike delayed the signing by several hours. This exchange echoed a similar call two weeks earlier, when Trump reportedly called Netanyahu “fucking crazy” over the escalation in Lebanon.
Hardliners on all sides object
Criticism erupted across the three countries. In Israel, former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman argued the pact overlooks Iran’s ballistic missile program and continued support for armed proxies. Ex-national security adviser Jacob Nagel warned Iran retains enough enriched uranium to quickly rebuild a nuclear weapon, and the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot headlined it “Bad Deal.”
Iranian ultraconservatives from the Paydari Front, including Kamran Ghazanfari and Meysam Nili, slammed the agreement as an excessive concession to Washington, claiming Tehran secured insufficient sanctions relief. In the streets of Tehran, the chant was: “Araghchi, Ghalibaf, you cannot negotiate with those who killed the leader.”
Meanwhile, Republican senators like Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker questioned any deal that eases sanctions while Iran keeps critical nuclear infrastructure.
What comes next
Iran’s military warned Sunday that it would respond to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, with a senior commander saying such crimes “will not go unanswered.” Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf said the Beirut bombing made it “impossible to talk about moving forward,” accusing the U.S. of lacking the will or capacity to fulfill commitments.
The agreement’s provisional nature keeps tensions high. While the Swiss ceremony on Friday may formalize the pact, Israel’s defiance and hardliner pushback in Tehran and Washington inject deep uncertainty. The Strait of Hormuz’s reopening and the injection of $25 billion into an isolated Iranian economy could reshape the Middle East, but only if all parties sign.
- Israeli airstrike hits Beirut's Dahye district; Trump later says it nearly derailed the deal.
- After negotiations, US and Iran finalize provisional peace agreement.
- Trump announces deal: Strait of Hormuz reopening, $25bn asset release, Iran's nuclear pledge; Pakistan publicizes terms.
- Israel's Defense Minister Katz says IDF will not withdraw from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza; Ben Gvir rejects deal's authority.
- Scheduled signing ceremony in Switzerland; Strait reopening contingent on finalizing pact, per VP Vance.
