The United States, Israel, and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington on Friday, June 26, following several days of talks aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the framework, cautioning that there is a great deal of work still ahead. He said the agreement establishes a clear process to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its infrastructure. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, described the trilateral framework as performance-based.
The agreement allows Israel to return to its borders once the threat to its citizens has been removed, and it creates a trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, facilitated by the United States. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the development in a video message late Friday night, calling it a major achievement for the State of Israel. He affirmed that Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon and announced plans to coordinate with the Lebanese army over two pilot zones. Turning to Tehran, Netanyahu declared that Iran no longer has a role in Lebanon and that the matter is none of its business.
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