Israel says IDF is staying in southern Lebanon, undermining Iran peace talks

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon, rejecting any withdrawal despite ongoing US-Iran peace talks. Katz said there is no American pressure for Israeli forces to leave the territory, which Israel describes as a "security zone." The statement complicates negotiations between the US and Iran, which signed an accord last week to extend a ceasefire and pursue 60 days of peace talks, with Iran insisting Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon is essential to any broader agreement.

The disagreement over Lebanon threatens the fragile US-Iran accord signed in recent days. Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated Wednesday that ending the war in Lebanon holds equal importance to ceasing hostilities with Iran. Israel and Lebanon are engaged in separate US-mediated talks aimed at arranging an Israeli withdrawal and Lebanese army deployment to prevent Hezbollah operations, but these talks exclude Hezbollah itself.

The conflict has escalated since March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli strikes have killed over 4,200 people in Lebanon, while Hezbollah attacks have killed at least 36 Israeli soldiers and three civilians in the country. A US-mediated ceasefire began Saturday but has not fully halted operations.