Iran May Be Using Lebanon to Pressure Washington and Jerusalem, Analyst Says

Middle East analyst Yoni Ben Menachem said the cancellation of planned delegations to Switzerland may conceal a broader diplomatic move, possibly tied to developments in Lebanon and the fighting with Hezbollah. The signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran had been scheduled in Switzerland, but it was postponed when the Iranian delegation and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance both canceled their trips, with Vance citing technical reasons.

Ben Menachem said the missing delegations suggest more is happening behind the scenes than is publicly visible. “The Iranian delegation is not coming, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance also canceled his trip for technical reasons, but there is a drama behind the scenes,” he said. He urged observers to pay attention not only to what is happening, but also to what is not happening.

He offered several possible explanations. One is that the Iranian delegation leader, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, does not want to be photographed next to Vance. “From their point of view, the United States has not changed, it is still the ‘Great Satan,’” he said. Another possibility, he said, is that Tehran is using the delay as leverage against Washington and Jerusalem.

Ben Menmen suggested Iran may be staging a show of force over Hezbollah so that the United States pressures Israel. He made the remarks against the backdrop of the postponement in Switzerland and an overnight wave of Israeli Air Force strikes in southern Lebanon. He said Iranians view the ceasefire in Lebanon as part of the understandings with the United States, so continued fighting could serve as grounds for political pressure.