Hezbollah says Iran will not sign a final nuclear deal without an Israeli pullout from south Lebanon

Hezbollah said on Tuesday that Iran has committed not to sign a final nuclear agreement with the United States unless Israel withdraws from south Lebanon. The claim was delivered to Reuters by the group’s media office.

According to Hezbollah, the issue of an Israeli withdrawal is not a precondition for opening talks between Tehran and Washington. Instead, the group said it is expected to come up later in negotiations, after a memorandum of understanding is signed, which it said is due this Friday.

The organization stressed that, in its view, any future Iran-US nuclear deal will depend on an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. “There will be no nuclear deal between Iran and the US unless the Israelis withdraw,” the statement said.

The remarks suggest the emerging memorandum between Washington and Tehran does not currently include an explicit demand for an Israeli pullout. Hezbollah said Iran is expected to make the issue one of its main demands in the later talks over a permanent agreement.