Less than 24 hours after Lebanon and Israel signed a U.S.-brokered framework agreement in Washington, Lebanon was already showing signs of deep internal polarization, with protests in Beirut and growing fears that political tensions could spill into domestic conflict.

The agreement marks the most significant political and security framework between the two countries in decades. It aims to turn the fragile ceasefire into a pathway toward longer-term security arrangements under U.S. supervision and with international backing.

Under the framework, the Lebanese Armed Forces would gradually assume control over all Lebanese territory while non-state armed groups would be disarmed and their military infrastructure dismantled. In return, Israel would carry out a phased withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon, and both sides would establish a U.S.-supervised military coordination mechanism.

The central obstacle is Hezbollah’s outright rejection of the sequencing. The group refuses to tie any Israeli withdrawal to the surrender of its weapons, arguing that its arsenal remains essential to what it calls its resistance against Israel.

In his first official response, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared the agreement “null and void,” accusing the Lebanese government of surrendering the country’s sovereignty and pledging that Hezbollah would continue its armed resistance.

Hours after the announcement, demonstrators—many carrying Hezbollah flags—blocked roads, burned tires, and gathered near government buildings in Beirut, underscoring the scale of the domestic divide.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri sought to calm tensions, warning Lebanese citizens against what he described as “sedition” and urging restraint to prevent political disagreements from turning into internal confrontation.

President Joseph Aoun, meanwhile, strongly defended the agreement, calling it the first step toward restoring Lebanon’s full sovereignty and enabling displaced residents to return to the south.

Washington also pledged to support implementation through a joint military coordination mechanism, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an immediate $100 million humanitarian aid package and broader international efforts to help rebuild Lebanon’s economy.

Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, violence has not fully subsided. Lebanon’s state news agency reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted an area in southern Lebanon just hours after the agreement was announced, highlighting the fragility of the situation.

Background

The latest agreement follows months of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated sharply in March. Previous ceasefire efforts failed to halt the violence, which has killed thousands, displaced more than one million people inside Lebanon, and deepened the country’s political and economic crisis.

Over recent months, the United States has pushed for a framework that expands the Lebanese army’s role in the south while gradually reducing Hezbollah’s military presence as the foundation for a longer-term settlement. Hezbollah, however, has consistently rejected any proposal that conditions Israeli withdrawal on its disarmament.

Analysts say the agreement now tests two critical questions: whether the Lebanese state can reassert authority in the south, and whether Hezbollah is willing to accept a reduced military role. The answers are likely to determine Lebanon’s stability in the months ahead.

What to watch

The agreement’s success will depend on whether U.S. mediators can keep both sides committed during its early implementation. Israel’s willingness to proceed with a phased withdrawal and Beirut’s ability to carry out its commitments despite Hezbollah’s opposition will determine whether the framework becomes the foundation for lasting stability—or another failed diplomatic effort.

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• The U.S. extended the fifth round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations in Washington through Friday in an effort to sustain momentum toward a ceasefire framework.

• An Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Mivdoun killed two people and injured another, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, while a separate drone strike near Nabatieh killed three others.

• The Israeli military said its forces killed six people during operations in the Nabatieh district, including five in Zawtar El Sharqieh and one in the Ali al-Taher area.

• Heavy fighting erupted in Beit Yahoun, where the Israeli military said two officers and two soldiers were wounded during clashes before launching retaliatory airstrikes and artillery shelling.

• Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 19 people were killed over the previous 24 hours, bringing the cumulative toll since the resumption of hostilities on March 2 to 4,230 dead and 12,179 wounded.

• Hezbollah condemned the operations near Zawtar El Sharqieh as a violation of the ceasefire but said it remains committed to the existing framework.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to hold its security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary, arguing that the deployment is needed to prevent future attacks.

• Defense Minister Israel Katz also rejected any withdrawal from the buffer zone, saying Israeli forces would remain deployed in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza as long as operational requirements demand.

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was “very close” to reaching a declaration of intent between Lebanon and Israel, while Israeli officials cautioned that no final agreement had yet been reached.

• At a joint meeting in Bahrain, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United States called for preserving the Lebanese negotiation track independently and strengthening the Lebanese state’s exclusive control over weapons.

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that Italy and France are preparing a multinational initiative to support Lebanon’s security institutions after the current UNIFIL mandate expires.

What to watch

While diplomacy continues, persistent fighting and opposing positions on Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon remain the biggest obstacles to reaching a lasting agreement.

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• A senior U.S. State Department official said Israel had carried out a limited withdrawal from parts of its self-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon as a confidence-building step.

• The official said the move was intended as a pilot model to be expanded across the south, with the Lebanese Armed Forces expected to deploy in parallel to secure areas and remove remaining weapons infrastructure.

• Israeli officials strongly rejected the claim, with military sources saying they were not aware of any withdrawal and confirming that no IDF positions had been vacated.

• Lebanese security sources also said monitoring systems showed no indication of Israeli redeployment or pullback from occupied areas.

• The U.S. State Department did not provide clarification on the exact location or scope of the alleged withdrawal, deepening confusion over the announcement.

• The contradictory statements came as negotiations in Washington entered their final phase, focused on ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and establishing a border security framework.

• U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa said the talks had improved after early deadlock, describing the overall atmosphere as “good” ahead of a final agreement.

• Issa said a “Declaration of Intent” is expected to be issued at the end of the current round, outlining initial pilot zones for phased transfers to the Lebanese Army.

• The proposed framework is part of a broader U.S. plan to accelerate security arrangements in southern Lebanon through staged territorial handovers.

• Separately, the Israeli military announced the death of an IDF soldier in the occupied eastern sector of the border area.

• Israeli authorities said total losses since operations began in southern Lebanon have reached 37 soldiers and one defense contractor.

What to watch

The contradictory claims over an Israeli withdrawal underscore deep uncertainty on the ground, even as Washington pushes toward a formal political framework that could define the next phase of security arrangements in southern Lebanon.

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One of the most sensitive battles in southern Lebanon is unfolding out of sight — underground.

According to the Israeli military, its forces have spent days encircling a large Hezbollah tunnel and bunker network beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge near Nabatieh. Israeli officials believe dozens of fighters remain inside as troops tighten the siege around the facility.

Israel says the site is far more than a simple tunnel network. Military officials describe it as a fully developed operations center with command rooms, weapons depots, living quarters and infrastructure designed to support fighters underground for extended periods. The military says the complex was built to accommodate hundreds of personnel and sits only a few kilometers from the Israeli border.

Details

• Fighting in recent days has centered on the Ali al-Taher ridge and the strategic Beaufort heights overlooking large parts of southern Lebanon, including the Nabatieh area.

• The Israeli military previously announced it had taken control of the Beaufort area and uncovered what it described as one of Hezbollah’s largest military tunnel systems in southern Lebanon.

• Israel says the facility was built with Iranian backing and was used to coordinate operations and launch rockets and drones toward Israeli territory.

• During clearing operations, Israeli forces said they found anti-tank missiles, mortar rounds, anti-aircraft weapons, ammunition stockpiles and command facilities inside the tunnels.

• Hezbollah has not issued a detailed public response to the claims of encirclement, while Lebanese sources say the area has witnessed some of the fiercest clashes since the latest Israeli operation began.

Why it matters

The significance of Ali al-Taher goes beyond the size of the tunnel network.

The ridge overlooks key routes across southern Lebanon and is viewed by Israel as a potential launch and observation point threatening nearby border communities. Israeli officials therefore see control of the area as a central part of efforts to push Hezbollah’s military infrastructure farther from the frontier.

For Hezbollah, losing the site would represent both a symbolic and operational setback if Israeli assessments of its importance prove accurate.

What to watch

The main question is no longer whether Israel can isolate the complex, but how the standoff will end.

A major assault or a high casualty toll could reignite tensions on the Lebanese front and place additional pressure on already fragile efforts by Washington and regional mediators to preserve stability along the border.

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• President Aoun said the fifth round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Washington is proceeding independently of any understandings reached during recent US-Iran meetings in Switzerland.

• He stressed that Lebanese efforts are centred on consolidating the ceasefire in southern Lebanon and achieving a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory.

• Aoun revealed that discussions are still ongoing over the geographic boundaries of proposed pilot zones, with final approval requiring agreement from the Israeli side.

• The president said recent statements by Syria’s leadership were positively received in Beirut, helping ease speculation about any future Syrian military role in Lebanon.

• The Washington negotiations began with joint diplomatic and military discussions before moving into separate technical tracks to draft a declaration of intent covering political, security and military issues.

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that Washington is dealing directly with the Lebanese government, describing Lebanon as a sovereign state whose future belongs to its people.

• Aoun received a call from US Vice President JD Vance and Rubio, who reiterated support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and security institutions as the sole legitimate authorities responsible for extending state control.

• Discussions also addressed proposals for a trilateral de-confliction mechanism involving the United States, Lebanon and Iran, although US officials said the structure remains under review.

• Aoun told US officials that Lebanon would accept nothing less than a complete Israeli withdrawal from the south and the removal of any form of external control over Lebanese affairs.

• Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam were briefed on the US contacts, while French President Emmanuel Macron told Berri that the November 2024 ceasefire framework remains fully implementable.

• Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the group would cooperate with the Lebanese Armed Forces “to the maximum extent” and insisted that Israel must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.

• Two civilians were killed and several others wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on municipal workers and residents carrying out recovery operations in Nabatieh Fawqa.

• An Israeli drone later struck a vehicle near Braasheet in the Bint Jbeil district, marking the first reported aerial attack since the partial pause in operations over the weekend.

• Israeli media reported that the military has ordered troops in southern Lebanon to move only in small groups amid concerns over potential attempts to capture soldiers.

What to watch

Negotiators are expected to continue discussions through the week, but any escalation on the ground could complicate efforts to transform the ceasefire into a more durable security arrangement.

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Israeli-Lebanese talks in Washington entered a more contentious phase after Israeli officials publicly criticized the U.S.-led mechanism aimed at reducing tensions in Lebanon, arguing that it risks diverting negotiations from their central objective: weakening Hezbollah and ending Iranian influence.

Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States and head of the Israeli delegation, said the fifth round of talks was taking place under what he called a “catastrophic situation,” warning that a process once aimed at achieving broader peace could be veering off course.

Details

• Leiter compared the negotiations to a train that had been moving toward “full peace” between Lebanon and Israel, but warned that recent U.S.-Iran understandings could shift the focus from resolving the conflict’s root causes to simply managing tensions.

• He argued that any lasting settlement must remain tied to dismantling Hezbollah, pushing the group away from southern Lebanon, and ending Iran’s influence inside the country. According to Leiter, genuine Lebanese sovereignty cannot exist while Tehran maintains military or political leverage there.

• His remarks reflect growing concern in Israel that the latest U.S.-Iran framework could give Tehran an indirect role in shaping Lebanon’s future, something Israeli officials view as a departure from the assumptions that guided previous negotiation rounds.

• Earlier rounds of talks focused on moving Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River and strengthening the Lebanese Army’s presence in the south as part of a broader effort to stabilize the border and open a path toward a wider agreement.

• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar echoed that position, saying Hezbollah remains the central problem for both Lebanon and Israel, and describing the group as a major obstacle to Lebanese sovereignty and regional stability.

• Lebanon, meanwhile, continues to press for an Israeli withdrawal from disputed areas and an end to Israeli military activity on Lebanese territory, while skepticism remains high over the prospects for a major diplomatic breakthrough.

• Lebanese media reports have suggested that Qatar could take on a larger mediation role alongside the United States, either through indirect contacts with Hezbollah or as an intermediary between Israel and the Lebanese state. No final agreement on such a role has been publicly confirmed.

What to watch

The fifth round of negotiations may reveal whether Washington still sees Hezbollah’s disarmament as a core pillar of the process, or whether the focus is shifting toward securing a durable ceasefire and preventing another war. That question has become a key point of friction between Israel and the United States and could shape the future of the talks.

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Details remain scarce about the newly announced “deconfliction cell” for Lebanon, but one question is already drawing attention: has Israel been pushed out of a key coordination framework in southern Lebanon, or is the new arrangement simply a rebranding of an existing mechanism?

The initiative emerged from talks in Switzerland involving the United States and Iran, with mediation from Qatar and Pakistan. It is designed to help oversee understandings related to Lebanon and reduce the risk of military escalation.

What stood out, however, was Tehran’s reaction. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, described the development as proof that Iran is now “part of Lebanon’s security story,” portraying the mechanism as a direct channel involving Washington, Beirut and Tehran.

Details

• Since November 2024, a ceasefire monitoring committee had brought together Lebanon, the United States, Israel, France and UNIFIL to oversee violations and coordinate security arrangements in southern Lebanon.

• Hezbollah-linked figures and some Lebanese political voices had repeatedly criticized that mechanism, accusing it of giving Israel excessive influence over developments on the ground.

• The committee’s activities slowed significantly after fighting resumed in recent months, raising doubts about its effectiveness and long-term viability.

• The new understandings reached in Switzerland include the creation of a deconfliction cell linked to the Lebanon file, although mediators have yet to clarify its exact powers or relationship with the previous mechanism.

• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed the initiative with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Qatari officials as part of efforts aimed at reinforcing the ceasefire and containing tensions.

What to watch

The key issue is not only whether Israel has been excluded from the new framework, but whether the mechanism will give Iran a formal role in shaping Lebanon’s security arrangements. For now, it remains unclear whether the deconfliction cell will replace the existing monitoring structure or operate alongside it. What is clear is that Tehran sees the move as both a political and symbolic gain, and is presenting it as recognition of its influence in post-war Lebanon.

The post Iran Is Part of Lebanon’s Security Framework: Has Israel Lost Its Influence? appeared first on Ontime+.

Days after the ceasefire took hold, the challenges threatening any lasting agreement are becoming clearer. While attention has shifted to U.S.-Iran diplomacy, President Donald Trump’s administration is confronting a far more complicated landscape than the one that existed before the war.

Vice President JD Vance is focusing his talks with Iranian officials on the nuclear file and regional security arrangements. But the question that sparked the conflict remains unanswered: what limits, if any, is Tehran willing to accept on its nuclear program?

Details

• Despite the damage inflicted during the war, Iran’s leadership survived and retained control, giving Tehran a stronger negotiating position than many expected before the conflict.

• U.S. officials increasingly view Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as a real source of leverage after wartime disruptions drove up shipping costs and insurance premiums.

• According to The Washington Post, concerns over oil prices and global market stability played a significant role in Trump’s push to secure a ceasefire and reopen diplomatic channels.

• The administration has effectively stepped back from calls for regime change in Iran and has softened its rhetoric on Iran’s ballistic missile program compared with its pre-war position.

• Aaron David Miller, a former adviser to Republican and Democratic administrations, told the newspaper that Washington now has fewer options to pressure Tehran without risking a renewed conflict or another shock to energy markets.

• At the same time, tensions on the Lebanese front continue to threaten the agreement. Israel says it is still targeting Hezbollah positions, while arguing that any ceasefire is incomplete unless the group halts its military activity.

• Differences between Washington and Jerusalem are becoming increasingly visible. Reports from The Washington Post and The New York Times suggest growing Israeli frustration with the direction of U.S.-Iran diplomacy and concerns that major decisions are being made without full Israeli involvement.

• Trump is also facing pressure at home. Influential voices within the conservative movement argue that the administration granted Iran strategic and political gains in exchange for ending the fighting.

• A recent Fox News poll found declining public support for military action against Iran, adding political sensitivity to the issue ahead of the midterm elections.

What to watch

The outcome of Vance’s talks with Iranian officials could determine whether the ceasefire evolves into a lasting agreement or remains a temporary pause in the conflict. For now, Trump may have succeeded in stopping the war, but the diplomatic and political battle over the terms of peace is only beginning.

The post Trump’s Deal Isn’t Enough: Iran Wields Hormuz as Israel Pushes Back appeared first on Ontime+.

As American and Iranian negotiators gathered at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, Lebanon appeared to be almost as central to the discussions as Iran itself.

The talks, led by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, began after being delayed by renewed tensions in southern Lebanon. The timing underscored how stability on the Lebanese front has become a key condition for keeping the diplomatic track between Washington and Tehran alive.

Vance said the Trump administration wants to reshape its relationship with Iran and pursue broader understandings that include a ceasefire in Lebanon. He added that significant progress had been made in recent days and described Lebanon and Iran’s nuclear program as his main priorities heading into the negotiations.

Details

• Qatari and Pakistani officials joined the talks as the main mediators after helping broker the memorandum of understanding that paved the way for the current round of negotiations.

• Iran’s delegation included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi alongside officials from the oil sector, the central bank and security agencies, reflecting Tehran’s focus on sanctions relief, frozen assets and security issues.

• Despite the positive tone projected by mediators, Iranian media reported protocol disputes at the outset, including Tehran’s refusal to participate in joint photographs or public handshakes with the U.S. delegation.

• The Strait of Hormuz remains a major source of tension. Iran has again linked its closure threat to Israeli military operations in Lebanon, while Washington insists maritime traffic remains unaffected. The issue has emerged as one of the most sensitive topics surrounding the negotiations.

• Israel, meanwhile, has shown little willingness to fully limit its military activity in southern Lebanon. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would continue operating against what he described as security threats despite the ceasefire announcement.

Washington’s two-track message

The opening hours of the talks exposed a clear contrast between Vance’s message in Switzerland and Trump’s rhetoric in Washington.

While Vance spoke of peace, prosperity and the possibility of turning a new page with Iran, Trump adopted a far more confrontational tone, warning Tehran of military and economic consequences if it continued supporting Hezbollah or interfered with navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also revived the idea of giving Syria a larger role in confronting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The difference does not necessarily signal a split within the administration. Instead, it reflects a familiar strategy: Vance negotiates while Trump keeps pressure on the table.

What to watch

The key question is no longer whether Washington and Tehran can negotiate. It is whether they can keep Lebanon stable enough to prevent the talks from collapsing.

Previous rounds were disrupted by developments on the ground in Lebanon, and another breakdown of the ceasefire could quickly derail the diplomatic process, even if progress is made elsewhere.

The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz also bears watching. What is currently a negotiating pressure point could evolve into a broader international crisis if the issue remains unresolved.

The post Switzerland Brings Rivals Together as Lebanon Shadows U.S.-Iran Talks appeared first on Ontime+.

• Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military has officially halted firing operations in Lebanon following direct instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

• The military directive states that Israeli forces will not withdraw from any area or position captured during the ground operation in southern Lebanon.

• Hezbollah said it had documented more than 300 Israeli violations and attacks since the ceasefire began, resulting in more than 111 deaths and 176 injuries.

• The group said the violations no longer constitute simple breaches of the ceasefire agreement but amount to “open aggression and a direct continuation of the war.”

• Hezbollah called on the United States and the international community to exert pressure on Israel to implement the agreements and halt its attacks.

• The group reaffirmed Lebanon’s right to defend its land and sovereignty, stressing that ending the Israeli presence on Lebanese territory is “only a matter of time.”

• Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said Israeli airstrikes and shelling on Friday killed 83 people and wounded 141 others across the country.

• The halt in firing followed a large-scale military campaign that included around 70 airstrikes and 18 drone strikes targeting multiple towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

• The Lebanese Army announced that one of its soldiers was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Kfar Roummane–Nabatieh road, saying continued attacks undermine efforts to restore stability.

• An Israeli strike on Qanaarit in the Saida district killed nine civilians and wounded 22 others, most of them women and children.

• In Sohmor in the western Bekaa, four members of the same family were killed in an Israeli strike, while Civil Defense teams recovered 16 bodies from several locations in the Nabatieh district.

• Hezbollah said its fighters repelled an Israeli infiltration attempt toward the Ali al-Taher heights and targeted Merkava tanks with guided missiles.

• The Israeli military said its operations were launched in response to more than 50 projectiles allegedly fired at its forces, a claim Hezbollah rejected while insisting it remains committed to the ceasefire.

What to watch

Despite the announcement of a halt in firing, Israel’s decision to maintain its military positions and the continued exchange of accusations raise doubts about the durability of the ceasefire and increase the risk of renewed escalation.

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