[96123] Progress in talks between the US and Iran: A new roadmap and its implications for Lebanon
US-Iran contacts: New framework and regional disputes
According to a report on the Abu Ali Express channel, a round of negotiations took place in Switzerland between the US and Iran, resulting in a roadmap for a final agreement within 60 days. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that as part of the talks, a license was approved for the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemical products, and that the execution phase for releasing $12 billion in frozen assets has begun. Additionally, mechanisms were established to prevent conflicts in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz with the participation of Qatar and Pakistan.
On the other hand, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf described the negotiations in a confrontational tone, claiming that Iran refused to continue direct talks with the US following threats from President Trump. According to him, Iran will continue to maintain contacts through intermediaries only, and he emphasized that "the Strait of Hormuz will never return to the state it was in before the war" according to Ghalibaf.
In the Israeli security establishment, there is concern regarding the implications of the agreements. 301 Arab World News reports that Aviram Belais of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security warns that the memorandum of understanding constitutes a "recovery window for Hezbollah," and that an arrangement that does not weaken the organization allows Iran to rehabilitate its central arm in the region. Yoni Ben-Menachem, a researcher at the same institute, adds that Tehran is attempting to use Hezbollah to undermine relations between Netanyahu and Trump.
In the American political arena, President Trump responded cautiously to questions about Iran's armament, saying "they are not supposed to do that" according to a report. At the same time, White House spokespersons emphasized that the administration will not sign a deal similar to Obama's nuclear agreement as noted by the White House spokeswoman. Conversely, the Israel News IL channel quoted a senior Iranian source who claimed that Trump gave a commitment for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, a claim that was criticized by commentators in Israel, such as Eliyahu Ben Asher, who called it "easy and secret solutions" that could lead to severe security consequences.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, internal opposition was recorded to the direct contacts of the Lebanese government with Israel in Washington. Lebanese Hezbollah MP Ali al-Miqdad called the contacts "negotiations of humiliation" according to a Kan 11 report.