IDF will remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza ‘indefinitely’, Israel’s defence minister says
Israeli newspaper Hareetz has quoted the country’s defence minister, Israel Katz, as having said that “the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza – indefinitely – to defend the border and Israeli communities against jihadist elements.”
Israel currently occupies swathes of southern Lebanon and Katz said that troops won’t withdraw from the land.
Despite launching the war on Iran alongside the US in late February, Israel was freezed out of the Pakistan-mediated negotiations over the peace deal – and many Israeli politicians and members of the public want the IDF to continue its war on Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities further.
At least 3,711 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the start of the war on 2 March, according to the country’s health ministry. Israel’s renewed war on Lebanon was triggered in response to Hezbollah firing rockets at northern Israel after the US and Israel killed the former Iranian supreme leader in Tehran on 28 February.
As well as killing many civilians, the Israeli assault on the country has led to the widespread demolition of homes in southern Lebanon and triggered a refugee crisis in which hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee in response to sweeping evacuation orders often given at little or no notice.
Key events
Iraq’s foreign ministry expressed its “satisfaction with the announcement on the imminent reopening of the strait of Hormuz to normal navigation, given its crucial importance in ensuring the flow of oil and gas to global markets”.
The US-Israel war on Iran badly hit Iraq’s economy. Iraq relies on oil revenues for roughly 90% of its budget, and most of its oil is exported through the strait of Hormuz, which was effectively closed by Iran in response to being attacked.
The war also led to a sharp reduction in the volume of imported goods reaching southern Iraq’s ports, while attacks halted traffic at the border it shares with Iran.
The Lebanese army has warned residents displaced by Israel’s war to “exercise caution” in returning to their homes in the border villages in the south because of the ongoing risk of Israeli attacks. In a statement posted to social media, the army said:
In light of the recent developments in the region and amid circulating news regarding the achievement of a ceasefire, the army command emphasizes the necessity for residents to exercise caution in returning to the southern border villages and towns, and to adhere to the directives of the deployed military units, to safeguard their safety from the dangers of violations and Israeli attacks.
It also stresses the need for utmost caution and vigilance in areas that have been subjected to Israeli attacks, and to report any unexploded ordnance or suspicious objects to the nearest army centre or other security forces.
Lebanese president hopes US-Iran deal will put ‘definitive end’ to Israel’s war on Lebanon
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said he hopes the US-Iran framework deal would put a “definitive end” to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian backed Lebanese militant group and political party.
In a statement issued by his office, Aoun praised the memorandum’s affirmation that “Lebanon’s security and safety are an integral part of any effort to consolidate stability in the region”.
The Lebanese people “look forward to these understandings transforming into practical steps that put a definitive end to the cycle of violence and establish a phase of stability, security, recovery and reconstruction,” the statement added.
Hezbollah, which operates independently from the Lebanese state, has not been a party to the negotiations between Israel and the government of Lebanon. Despite having been engaged in diplomacy with Lebanon, Israel was striking southern Lebanon and ordering mass evacuation orders on a near-daily basis. This was before the US-Iran agreement was announced yesterday.
It is yet to be seen if the Israeli attacks, which killed many civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure, will continue in Lebanon going forward, a red line for Iran and something that will derail peace talks with the US.
Hezbollah had fired rockets and drones into northern Israel and against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon as the group rejected pushes for its disarmament and Israeli occupation of large areas of the south.
Donald Trump is set to head to the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains later today for the annual G7 summit.
The reopening/demining of the strait of Hormuz will likely be high on the agenda during his meeting with world leaders over the course of the three days.
Britain and France are among the countries that have expressed interest in assisting with demining efforts once the fighting had stopped.
You can keep up with all the latest developments in our Europe live blog here:
Iran’s Fars news agency said on Monday, quoting what it said was an informed source, that Tehran added a clause on imposing maritime service fees to the framework deal with the US shortly before its announcement.
“In the final moments of the negotiations, the text of the memorandum of understanding was amended to clearly and explicitly emphasise the issue of the Iranian-Omani sovereignty over the strait of Hormuz,” reported Fars, a news agency close to the Iranian security services.
“The use of the term ‘maritime services’ means that the United States has accepted that fees will be paid to Iran,” it added. There has been no official comment from the US on these fees, but Donald Trump claimed the agreement ensures the strait will be “permanently toll free” and has repeatedly insisted that Iran will not be allowed to impose tolls on commercial vessels trying to transit the waterway.
Iran’s foreign minister holds calls with Turkey, Iraq and Egypt on US-Iran framework
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has held phone calls with his counterparts in Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, according to a post on his Telegram channel.
He updated them on the contents of the US-Iran framework peace deal, thanked them for their mediation efforts and reiterated Iran’s position that Israel must halt its attacks on Lebanon for the agreement to be honoured.
Araghchi also held a telephone call with his Japense counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, who welcomed the memorandum of understanding with the US, according to the statement. Both foreign ministers also vowed to stay in close contact “regarding future cooperation on the issue of the strait of Hormuz”.
The head of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, has welcomed the framework agreement, saying it is an indication of a “crucial return to peace”.
“This signals a crucial return to peace, dialogue, multilateralism and diplomacy, and in particular, an important step toward restoring safety in this vital maritime corridor for seafarers and ships, as well as safeguarding the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation,” he said in a statement.
“The agreement also allows IMO to advance its plan to evacuate the thousands of seafarers stranded in the area. The organization is working in close collaboration with member states and partners to implement this plan safely and effectively. However, its implementation will require time to ensure that all necessary safety and security guarantees are in place.”
Donald Trump said the strait of Hormuz will reopen on Friday after the initial memorandum of understanding is signed (in Switzerland), and confirmed the US naval blockade on Iranian ports will be lifted.
Under the terms of the deal, the strategic waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquid gas usually passes, would be gradually reopened as Iranian forces clear mines during the first month.
However, there remains uncertainty about the status of the strait going forward. In an interview with the NY Times on Sunday, Trump claimed the waterway will be “permanently toll free” . But on Iran’s Mehr state news, it was reported that a memorandum of understanding between the governments calls for the reopening of the strait within 30 days under “Iranian arrangements”.
US-Iran deal is ‘bad for Israel and the entire free world’ – Smotrich
The far-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has said the framework peace deal is “bad for Israel” and “the entire free world”. In a post on X, he wrote:
The joint campaign had many achievements in weakening Iran, and they will not go to waste. We will have to continue the campaign to topple the regime ourselves and in creative ways, and ensure that Iran will never have nuclear weapons.
None of the candidates who see themselves as fit for the premiership would withstand even ten percent of the pressure currently being applied to the Israeli government, and especially to the one at its head.
In Lebanon, we will be tested. This is our war, our fighters, and the immediate security of our northern residents. I will continue to act so that we continue to stand firm on ours and allow the IDF full freedom of action to continue pushing Hezbollah away.
Benjamin Netanyahu is at the helm of the most right-wing coalition in Israeli history, which includes Smotrich, an ultranationalist who has called for government reprisal attacks on Palestinians and is a leading, many would say extreme, figure in the Israeli settler movement. He wields a considerable influence over Netanyahu, who is running in an election that must be held by October.
It will be the first since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to take direct responsibility for the security and intelligence failings that occurred in the lead-up to the attack, which triggered the Israeli assault on Gaza, widely viewed as a genocide against the Palestinian population.
Netanyahu had wanted to go into the election being able to boast about the fall and eradication of the Iranian regime, according to the Times of Israel, but is now reportedly trying to buy himself time and delay the election date to as late as possible after this goal failed to materialise, with the US wanting a swift end to the war and a more hardline regime calcifying in Iran.
Egypt also welcomed the framework peace deal, saying it could be a “turning point” for stability in the region. Cairo’s foreign ministry said:
Egypt hopes that this agreement will constitute a major turning point toward strengthening mutual trust, laying new foundations for cooperation, creating a supportive environment for peace and advancing diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing remaining regional issues.
Although Egypt, a close US ally, was not directly involved in the war, it has been heavily affected, particularly in the energy sector, as it depends on imported fuel. Costs have soared with the disruption of oil and gas production and trade across the region.
Egypt sought to position itself as a mediator between the US and Iran as it tried to contain the spiralling economic and security fallout from the conflict.
Peter Walker
Speaking at the start of a press conference in Downing Street where he was announcing a ban on social media use for under-16s, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he welcomed the US-Iran deal.
He said:
This is a hugely significant moment. We have long called for de-escalation, and it is vital that all parties seize this opportunity to secure stability in the region and risk of freedom of navigation in the strait of Hormuz, which in turn will ease the economic pressures felt by people here in the United Kingdom and around the world.
We will now work closely with our partners to support this agreement and to ensure it turns into a durable lasting peace.
An “Israeli source” has told CNN that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has privately blamed Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, for creating a wedge between himself and the president.
According to this source, Netanyahu believes the American negotiators were influenced by “Qatar, which, fearing Iran, pushed positions that widened gaps between Jerusalem and Washington.”
Qatari mediators travelled to Tehran yesterday to finalise terms of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding and have been a key diplomatic channel alongside Pakistan.
Qatar has close contacts with leaders in Tehran and shares access to the world’s biggest field of natural gas deposits with Iran.
Like other Gulf countries, it is incredibly vulnerable to attacks from Iran and was targeted by missiles and drones at the beginning of the war as Tehran started striking US allies in the region in retaliation for being attacked by the US and Israel.
IDF will remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza ‘indefinitely’, Israel’s defence minister says
Israeli newspaper Hareetz has quoted the country’s defence minister, Israel Katz, as having said that “the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza – indefinitely – to defend the border and Israeli communities against jihadist elements.”
Israel currently occupies swathes of southern Lebanon and Katz said that troops won’t withdraw from the land.
Despite launching the war on Iran alongside the US in late February, Israel was freezed out of the Pakistan-mediated negotiations over the peace deal – and many Israeli politicians and members of the public want the IDF to continue its war on Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities further.
At least 3,711 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the start of the war on 2 March, according to the country’s health ministry. Israel’s renewed war on Lebanon was triggered in response to Hezbollah firing rockets at northern Israel after the US and Israel killed the former Iranian supreme leader in Tehran on 28 February.
As well as killing many civilians, the Israeli assault on the country has led to the widespread demolition of homes in southern Lebanon and triggered a refugee crisis in which hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee in response to sweeping evacuation orders often given at little or no notice.
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that the strait of Hormuz must be made navigable again without any restrictions after US and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the vital shipping route.
“It must be made clear that the strait of Hormuz is once again open to shipping, without any restrictions whatsoever and without any possibility of levying customs duties or similar charges,” Wadephul said before meeting with European counterparts in Luxembourg.
Israeli far-right minister criticises US-Iran deal and urges stronger campaign in Lebanon
Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, on Monday denounced the deal between the US and Iran to end the Middle East war, including in Lebanon, insisting his country was not bound by it.
“Trump’s agreement does not bind us… we are not party to this agreement. It does not safeguard our security,” Ben Gvir said on his Telegram channel, in what was the first reaction from an Israeli official to the deal.
“We must not settle for anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah. We must not withdraw from a single inch of territory that our soldiers have captured and cleared of terrorist infrastructure,” he said.
The announced deal between the United States and Iran marks a “potential breakthrough” in the war and the EU will now weigh how it can be involved in the next phase, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.
“From economic leverage to nuclear expertise and longstanding relationships with Gulf partners, the EU stands ready to contribute to a sustainable resolution,” Kallas said in a post on X, before a meeting of foreign affairs ministers from the 27 EU member states in Brussels.
