Vance sidesteps question on Israeli withdrawal as U.S. pushes regional calm

U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Monday declined to answer directly whether Washington is demanding that Israel fully withdraw from southern Lebanon as part of emerging regional arrangements. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Lake Lucerne summit, he instead said the United States believes a complicated formula can preserve both Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and Israel’s security.

Vance said the deal was being mediated at the request of regional states, not imposed by Washington, and stressed that weeks of technical and diplomatic work would still be needed. The question came amid growing Israeli criticism of a new international mechanism to prevent friction on the northern border, which was drafted without Israel’s direct participation. He defended the initiative, saying its top goal is a wider regional ceasefire that would stop Hezbollah rocket fire into Israel and keep isolated incidents from escalating into a full war.

He also said the previous 24 hours had already shown results, with what he described as the quietest period in Lebanon in a long time. Vance mocked past ceasefires as arrangements that sometimes only mean “shooting a little less,” and argued that an active coordination mechanism is needed so the sides can communicate and halt fire in real time.

On Iran, Vance said there had been a major breakthrough on day one of the talks, including Iranian agreement to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country, possibly as early as this week. He called it an important milestone toward permanent denuclearization or the end of Tehran’s weapons program. He said tensions nearly derailed the summit overnight after Iranian representatives threatened to walk out in response to an angry Trump post, but talks continued past 1 a.m. without any delegation leaving. Vance added that the U.S. has also secured a mechanism to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz and keep the strategic waterway open, while technical teams remain in Burgenstock to continue negotiations with Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan.