Massive blow to Iran and Hezbollah: Netanyahu claims Israel-Lebanon agreement sidelines Tehran

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the newly announced US-mediated framework agreement with Lebanon as a turning point that effectively sidelines Tehran, calling it a “massive blow to Iran and Hezbollah.”

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the PM Netanyahu thanked the US leadership for mediating the agreement and also extended greetings to the Lebanese government and public for showing “great courage.” He also hailed the Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, for truthfully representing Israel’s expectations from the accord.

In a post on X, the Israeli PM shared his address and wrote, “Dear citizens of Israel, yesterday before the start of the Sabbath, we achieved a historic accomplishment for the State of Israel. Following direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the US, we have reached a framework of understandings that allows us to move forward toward ending the conflict, and, G-d willing, eventually reaching a peace agreement between the two countries.”

“I thank President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio for their involvement, their contribution, and for achieving these understandings. I thank the government of Lebanon and the people of Lebanon; they showed great courage. I thank Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, and our team, they faithfully represented Israel in the talks,” he added. Netanyahu further argued that the agreement sends a clear message that Iran has no role in the future of Lebanon’s security. He emphasised that the deal was secured precisely because Israel crippled Hezbollah’s military capabilities and pressured Iran directly, rendering the “axis of terror” unable to intervene or assist its proxies.

Under the terms of the understanding, Israel will maintain a security zone within Lebanon, which the Prime Minister stated will remain under Israeli control until the disarmament of terrorist organisations is complete and threats to the northern border are neutralised.

“We are breaking the Iranian axis of terror, but we are also breaking the Iranian diplomatic axis. We managed to reach this framework of understandings for a simple reason: Because we struck Hezbollah hard. And Hezbollah, which expected assistance from Iran, did not receive it, because we struck Iran hard. All of this was done thanks to the heroism of our fighters, and also thanks to the wise and courageous decisions we made,” he added.

He further framed that the key component of the deal, a pilot program in two specific zones near the “Yellow Line,” as a refusal to succumb to demands for a forced withdrawal, asserting that the agreement validates Israel’s refusal to accept any Iranian-backed interference.

“Israel and Lebanon have agreed on two adjacent areas near the Yellow Line, recommended by the IDF, where there will be a pilot program for disarming Hezbollah and transferring the territory to the control of the Lebanese army. This is a tremendous achievement, because what were they trying to do? They tried to get us out of there through all kinds of means and pressures. That, of course, will not happen,” he noted. (ANI)

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