Israeli Ambassador Says Lebanon Talks Risk Strengthening Hezbollah

At the start of the fifth round of talks between Israel and the Lebanese government, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said Tuesday that Iranian involvement is complicating efforts tied to the ceasefire and to U.S. pressure to halt attacks on Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Leiter said the negotiations had once been moving toward what he described as a clear goal, full peace between Israel and Lebanon, with Iran pushed out, Hezbollah dismantled, and security restored for both countries. “Today, that train is in danger of going off the rails,” he said, adding that he hoped it could be put back on track.

He argued that the main issue should be Lebanon and Hezbollah, not how much Iran can restrain the group. According to Leiter, “It is not Iran’s role” to shape the process, and Lebanon’s government must assert sovereignty by ending Iranian influence. He warned that the idea of “preventing friction” was misplaced and said, “The only issue is Hezbollah. Hezbollah must be defeated and removed from the equation.”

Leiter also said there was a danger Hezbollah had been “given a boost” and now felt stronger and bolder. He questioned whether dismantling Hezbollah still remained the basis of the talks, saying Israel had agreed to a ceasefire on the condition that Hezbollah withdraw northward and asking whether that deal still applied. He ended by warning that Iran may receive funds under a memorandum of understanding, and asked how those funds would be kept from reaching Hezbollah, while stressing that Israel will act against immediate and developing threats to its civilians and soldiers.