WANA (Jun 16) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed Israel’s intention to maintain its military presence in southern Lebanon following reports of a recent understanding between Iran and the United States, a position that comes amid renewed tensions along Israel’s northern border.

 

Speaking about developments on the northern front, Netanyahu declared, “What we did in Gaza, we will also do on the northern front.” He further asserted that Israel would continue to maintain a presence in buffer zones in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria and had no intention of withdrawing from those areas.

 

The remarks come as various media reports have identified regional de-escalation, particularly in Lebanon, as one of the key components of the recent Tehran-Washington understanding. Several Israeli media outlets have also reported that Iran linked progress in the talks to a halt in Israeli military operations in Lebanon and other regional conflict zones.

 

At the same time, Israeli media have reported growing concern among political and security circles in Israel over the potential implications of the agreement. Israel’s Channel 13 claimed that conditions discussed as part of the Tehran-Washington understanding could restrict Israel’s military freedom of action in Lebanon. The network further alleged that Iran had effectively gained a “veto” over certain Israeli operations in Lebanon, a prospect that has reportedly drawn criticism from some Israeli officials.

 

In a related development, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that Netanyahu told U.S. President Donald Trump that Israel does not consider itself obligated to withdraw from southern Lebanon and has no plans to end its military presence there. His comments come amid reports that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon has been discussed as part of broader regional arrangements.

 

Meanwhile, tensions on the ground have continued. Hezbollah announced that it had carried out an operation against Israeli armored units in southern Lebanon in response to what it described as Israeli ceasefire violations. According to the group’s statement, Hezbollah fighters used guided missiles and loitering drones to target the movement of Israeli forces, including two Merkava tanks and a military bulldozer, along the Hami Arnoun–al-Qamasha axis toward the town of Kfar Tebnit, preventing their advance.

 

In separate remarks, Netanyahu also sought to link the recent Iran-U.S. understanding to Israel’s military actions against Iran. He claimed that Israeli strikes on Iran had saved Israel from what he described as a “nuclear annihilation threat,” an assertion made without presenting independent evidence.