The third is superfluous: the negotiations between the United States and Iran have stalled because of Lebanon

Negotiations between the United States and Iran, which are being conducted through the mediation of Pakistan, have come to a standstill on the Lebanese issue. Tehran insists on including a cease-fire clause in Lebanon in the final memorandum, but Israel demands that it retain the right to strike Hezbollah targets. This contradiction threatens to disrupt the fragile truce and put an end to a diplomatic settlement. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Tehran's demand

"The withdrawal of Israeli troops is once again becoming a national demand. The aggression has not stopped, and we are holding bilateral talks in Washington to put an end to it and return our lands," Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said.

According to him, Beirut considers it its duty to achieve the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the southern regions of the country, which are once again under occupation.

Photo: Global Look Press/Nasser Ishtayeh

The Lebanese leader noted that Beirut's decision to enter into negotiations with Israel under the auspices of the United States is not considered a humiliating concession or capitulation. Aoun believes that this confirms Lebanon's right to defend its sovereignty.

"It goes without saying that the Lebanese army will remain the sole guarantor of national security and territorial integrity," the President stressed.

The politician's words came after the secretary general of the Shiite Hezbollah movement accused the authorities of making concessions to Israel, threatening mass protests.

Don't sacrifice your allies

Meanwhile, according to Turkish media, Israel continues to launch strikes on Lebanese territory, despite the fact that a ceasefire came into force on April 17. On May 17, with the mediation of the United States, it was extended for another 45 days. In addition, the parties plan to hold a fourth round of negotiations in early June.

According to the Lebanese state agency NNA, on May 25, the Israeli army attacked residential buildings in the city of Mishgara, located in the east of the country. Five people were killed and many were injured. Several more people died as a result of the strike on the settlement of Kavsariyat al-Ruz in southern Lebanon.

In general, according to the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of March, 3.1 thousand people have died as a result of attacks by the Jewish state in the country. Israel is also transmitting information about casualties.

Photo: REUTERS/Stringer

The situation is complicated by the fact that Lebanon may become a stumbling block in the US deal with Iran. Earlier, Tehran demanded the cessation of the Israeli operation against Hezbollah as one of the conditions in negotiations with the American side. According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagai, the dialogue with Washington continues, and Tehran plans to use it to maximize the protection of the country's interests.

This is a crucial point for Iran — sacrificing Hezbollah, its key proxy asset in the region, would mean losing face and leverage.

At the same time, the Iranian diplomat stressed that the process of a possible agreement between the United States and Iran is far from being completed. The Secretary General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, also said that the agreements between the two sides could eventually lead to a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.

At the same time, he argued that the people have the right to take to the streets and overthrow the Lebanese government, although he did not directly call on Hezbollah supporters to take such actions.

Israel intensifies strikes

However, in West Jerusalem, they show that they are not going to stop military operations on the territory of a neighboring country. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained, he ordered the army to step up attacks on Lebanese territory, "step on the pedal even harder" and expand the military campaign against the radical Shiite group.

Photo: Global Look Press/Omar Alkalouti

The head of the IDF General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, clarified that he had already approved plans to continue military operations in Lebanon, in particular, ordering strikes against Hezbollah.

According to sources, Israel is seeking to keep part of Lebanese territory in its hands and conduct raids. Inside the country, Netanyahu is under increasing pressure from the far-right wing of the government, which demands that the prime minister make his own decisions regarding Lebanon, without focusing on Washington's position.

After Netanyahu's statement, residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut began to leave their homes, fearing the resumption of large-scale Israeli bombing. Local experts do not rule out that West Jerusalem will retain freedom of action in Lebanon, as it has already agreed on this with Washington.

There are indirect hints of such an outcome. US President Donald Trump earlier reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself from threats on all fronts. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities are considering options for action in Lebanon. Among the possible scenarios is the creation of permanent military posts inside populated areas in the south of the country to prevent the return of Hezbollah fighters there.

The Lebanese issue, which began as a secondary item on the US-Iranian agenda, has become a major stumbling block. And as long as Israel retains the right to preemptive defense, the prospects for a grand bargain remain dim.

Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

As a source close to the negotiations explained in an interview with Izvestia, the problem is that for Iran, both the dialogue on the nuclear program and the discussion of the Hezbollah issue are equally important.

— After all, Tehran considers the Shiite group as its main regional ally. The same applies to Israel. Netanyahu stressed that he would not allow Hezbollah to threaten Israel, which is why the Israeli authorities are conducting all these operations," the source said.

In his opinion, the disarmament of the Shiite group is important not only for Israel, but also for the United States and Europe. Therefore, in the near future, the pressure on Hezbollah will be even stronger.

— The only thing that can be achieved is to shift attention away from this issue a little, but it will continue to play an important role in regional politics. But even in the case of declarations of a cease—fire, it can resume quickly, so there is no solution to this issue in the near future," the source concluded.