Lebanon enters a new round of negotiations with Israel on Tuesday in Washington, determined to push forward with direct talks even as the process is overshadowed by Iran’s move to fold Lebanon into its own discussions with the United States.
Lebanese officials maintain that direct, face‑to‑face negotiations with Israel are the only viable path to ending the war that has raged since March 2, when Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Iran, prompting Israeli air and ground operations that have killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon.
Yet four rounds of talks between Lebanon and Israel since April have failed to produce a lasting ceasefire.
This week’s longest pause in hostilities came instead after Iran and the United States reached a memorandum of understanding requiring fighting to stop on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The agreement strengthened Iran‑aligned Hezbollah and undermined the Lebanese state, whose leaders, including President Joseph Aoun, had repeatedly warned that Tehran cannot negotiate on Lebanon’s behalf.
One Lebanese official and two foreign diplomats involved in Lebanon policy told Reuters the Iran‑US deal had undercut Beirut’s position, leaving the Lebanese state at its weakest point yet and raising doubts about the value of this week’s talks with Israel.
The Lebanese official expressed doubt that the negotiations, scheduled to last three days, would yield meaningful progress.
“There is a fundamental lack of trust between us and the Israelis. We cannot meet their demands, and they reject all of ours,” the official said.
Lebanon has stated that a key objective is securing an Israeli military withdrawal, but senior Israeli figures have said their troops will remain in southern Lebanon indefinitely.
The Lebanese official said Beirut would insist that Israel present a “reasonable” withdrawal timeline during the talks.
“This is our only chance to build momentum in these negotiations, and in this tug‑of‑war with Iran,” the official added.
Israel, for its part, views the talks as a path toward “disarming Hezbollah and achieving a genuine peace agreement” with Lebanon, according to a briefing by Israeli government spokesman David Mencer on the eve of the new round. Mencer said Hezbollah was the sole obstacle to reaching a deal, “which is why we believe they must be disarmed and dismantled.”
