Israel says no Lebanon withdrawal, Iran says funds expected before final talks

The Lebanese presidency welcomed the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, which is said to include a termination of all military operations across all fronts, including Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a statement released Monday, the presidency said “Lebanon hopes that this development will mark the beginning of a broader process that enhances stability in the region, preserves the sovereignty of states and the rights of their peoples, and allows the Lebanese to focus on rebuilding what has been destroyed and restoring their normal lives under a secure and stable state.”

Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published on Monday a list of the 14 points it says are included in the memorandum of understanding with the U.S., which is expected to come into effect after it is signed on Friday.

According to the IRGC, the agreement includes:

1. Immediate and permanent cessation of war on all fronts, including Israel’s battle with Hezbollah in Lebanon
2. U.S. commitment not to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs and to respect the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic
3. Full lifting of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels within 30 days
4. U.S. commitment to withdraw forces from the region around Iran
5. Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days under Iranian arrangements
6. Suspension of sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil, petrochemical products and derivatives, and full Iranian access to revenues
7. U.S. and its allies required to present reconstruction plans for Iran worth at least $300 billion
8. 60 days of negotiations to reach a final agreement on nuclear issues and the complete lifting of primary and secondary U.S. sanctions, as well as United Nations Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions
9. Iran’s reaffirmation of its commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty not to produce nuclear weapons
10. During the negotiation period, the U.S. commits not to increase its forces in the region and not to impose new sanctions
11. Release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds during the 60-day final negotiation period; half of this amount must be made available to Iran before final negotiations begin
12. Establishment of a monitoring mechanism to implement the agreement
13. Final agreement to be approved by a United Nations Security Council resolution
14. Discussions about Iran’s conventional missile program and support for resistance groups are explicitly excluded from the agenda.

Israeli officials said Monday that the country was not bound to withdraw forces from Lebanon or halt its fight with Hezbollah under the U.S.-Iran agreement.

On Friday, a senior Trump administration official told CBS News that Iran would not receive any portion of the frozen financial assets until the country shows it is complying with the obligations made under the deal. That raises questions about timing given the IRGC’s claim that half of Iran’s seized funds are to be handed over before final negotiations begin during the 60-day period.

“If they turn over the nuclear material as promised, they get something. If they dismantle their nuclear programs or their nuclear facilities, they’ll get something else. If they really commit to regional peace and stability, they’ll get additional things on top of that,” the official said, warning against taking Iranian government and media statements at face value, calling them “domestic propaganda.”

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Monday that the agreement between the U.S. and Iran does not require Israel to stop its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“Trump’s agreement does not bind us… we are not party to this agreement. It does not safeguard our security,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on his Telegram channel.

“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.

Israel’s defense minister said Monday that Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon “indefinitely” and he opposes any withdrawal of forces from the southern parts of the country, where Israel and the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah have fought continuously since just after the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the government was “leading a clear policy that states that the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza – indefinitely – in order to protect the border and Israeli settlements from there against jihadist elements.”

The defense minister said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made President Trump aware of Israel’s intention to maintain a presence in southern Lebanon.

“If Iran attacks Israel due to the events in Lebanon – we will attack it with all our might and clearly demonstrate to it the power gaps,” Katz said in his statement.

Pakistan, a key mediator in the negotiations, said the agreement reached by the U.S. and Iran, included a termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

The United States and Iran are to hold indirect meetings in Doha this week ahead of the formal signing of a deal aimed at ending the Middle East war, a diplomat told AFP on Monday.

“Separate preparatory meetings with each side will now take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland and the start of the technical talks,” the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive arrangements.

President Donald Trump is headed to the French Alps on Monday to meet with fellow world leaders at the Group of Seven summit after announcing an agreement that he says will bring an end to the U.S. war with Iran.

With the agreement, Trump is due to arrive in Evian-les-Bains on Monday afternoon with some wind at his back for talks with G7 leaders, including some who have been sharply critical of his managing of the roughly 15-week conflict that has led to a surge in global energy prices.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Trump Israel won’t pull its troops from Lebanon and doesn’t consider itself obligated to go along with the Lebanon-related parts of the U.S. deal with Iran, Israeli news service Ynet reports, citing Israeli sources.

Ynet says Netanyahu also told Mr. Trump Israel will keep responding to attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah and hitting Hezbollah itself.

Netanyahu received full backing for his positions from Israel’s cabinet, Ynet says.

Qatari mediators left Tehran after 17 hours of intensive negotiations that resulted in the announced deal, according to a diplomat briefed on developments. Separate preparatory meetings with each side are set to take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland and the start of the technical talks, the diplomat said.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday released statements in support of a U.S-Iran deal.

“I welcome the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, the result of a diplomatic effort to which several partners have contributed,” Macron wrote on social media. “I call for its rapid and complete implementation by all belligerents.”

Macron urged a speedy reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “The resumption of maritime traffic, without restriction or toll, is an indispensable condition for regional stability and the global economy.”

Macron also said France was “prepared to play its part” in any agreement made about Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Starmer similarly wrote, “Attention must now turn to fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to ensure the Strait reopens and remains fully and permanently open, and that the detailed elements of the nuclear agreement are finalised. We stand ready to support the technical talks that will now begin.”