US and Iran Sign Interim Agreement to End War in Lebanon, But Israel Refuses to Comply

The leaders of the United States and Iran have signed an interim agreement to end nearly four months of war that left several thousand people dead across all factions and cost billions. The 14-point memorandum of understanding calls for a permanent end to hostilities and starts a 60-day negotiating clock. But the inclusion of Lebanon within its terms has sparked outrage in Israel and a vehement refusal to comply. “The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war are signing this MOU to declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon and other provisions of this paragraph ,” read the first of 14 points in the MoU released by US officials. Israel has largely distanced itself from the agreement — with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defiantly insisting that Israeli troops will remain inside Lebanese territories “for as long as necessary”. Fighting also continued for much of Wednesday despite repeated assurances from Trump and other leaders that the US-Iran deal (inclusive of the Lebanon clause) had taken effect. Hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group have killed thousands of people in the country and displaced more than a million more. President Donald Trump gently rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a media interaction on Wednesday. The two men have clashed repeatedly over Israel’s refusal to constrain its pursuit of Hezbollah in Lebanon — despite mounting global pressure and even furious, expletive-filled phone calls from Trump. Iran has also warned repeatedly that the war would not ‘end’ fully unless Israel withdrew from the territories it had occupied recently. “Netanyahu ‌happens to be a good man, gets ⁠a little excited sometimes. We have a little dispute over Lebanon. I say you can do a little softer touch, Bibi…You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah,” the US President told reporters on Wednesday. Leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Italy, Canada also exerted pressure on the US as they met for the G7 Summit on Wednesday. The bloc has issued a joint statement demanding an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. Supporters of the Israeli Prime Minister have described the deal as a “strategic and political disaster” while critics grow louder ahead of elections in the country. Surveys conducted amidst the war had predicted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose, and several right-wing allies have distanced themselves from his party in recent months. The ceasefire deal threatens to worsen the situation for Netanyahu as many argue that Israel has failed to achieve its stated war objectives. The Israeli leader has so far avoided a public confrontation with Trump, and criticism has largely come from supportive media outlets and political allies. A prime-time host on Channel 14 levelled expletives at US Vice President JD Vance earlier this week, while others trained their guns on Middle East envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. They insinuated that key Trump allies had sold out Israel for financial incentives. Israeli media also accused Trump of “stabbing Netanyahu in the back” and surrendering to Tehran just as the pressure was peaking. “Trump’s agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subordinate to the United States. We are an independent and sovereign country. We are not partners to this agreement, which does not safeguard our security. We must not withdraw from any territory [in Lebanon] that our fighters have captured,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said in a statement earlier this week. As Netanyahu maintains stony silence about his souring relationship with Washington, Trump has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of the Israeli prime minister. In a recent interview with Axios, the US President said he was “so pissed off” with the situation and told Netanyahu that he had “no f*****g judgment” for launching fresh strikes on the “special day” when his peace treaty was to be announced. “Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon…too many people are being killed,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. This came days after Trump told reporters that he had indeed called Netanyahu “effing crazy” on a phone call and was “perturbed at his constant fighting with Lebanon”. “What the f*** are you doing? You’re f*****g crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this” Trump had reportedly shouted at Netanyahu in early June, according to an Axios report. Despite the recent turbulence, Trump has insisted that Israel is “very happy” with the deal. “Look, think of what Israel is getting. They’re not going to be nuked. It’s very simple. I told Bibi: Bibi, your biggest risk was that they’d drop a nuclear weapon into the middle of Israel. They’d only need one, and there would be no more Israel. Think of it, Bibi. You got the best, the most important thing that you were asking for is that,” the US President told reporters on Wednesday. ‘Think of it, Bibi, you got the best, the most important thing that you were asking for’ — Trump ‘So, I think they’re happy’ pic.twitter.com/iSrwqzB2zg