US Vice President Supports Israel Staying in South Lebanon Until Hezbollah Disarms

A Wall Street Journal editorial highlights a significant shift in US policy regarding Israel's presence in southern Lebanon. The new agreement signed last Friday by the US, Israel, and Lebanon links Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah. The framework aims to curb Iranian influence in Lebanon and restore genuine Lebanese sovereignty over Hezbollah.

The agreement recognizes the right of both Israel and Lebanon to exist peacefully as sovereign neighbors, a rare diplomatic acknowledgment in Lebanon even after years of US mediation. Crucially for Israel, the US framework legitimizes the Israel Defense Forces' presence in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed. Initially, Israel will hand over two small experimental zones to the Lebanese army, which will be tasked with dismantling terrorist infrastructure and combating armed non-state groups, a diplomatic reference to Hezbollah.

The Wall Street Journal notes that some Iran policy officials aligned with Vice President J.D. Vance criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio's agreement, claiming it conflicts with the Iran nuclear deal. However, Trump administration sources cited in the article assert the opposite: the Lebanon agreement represents the official US interpretation of the Iran deal regarding Lebanon. Vice President Vance supports Rubio’s position, and no one in President Trump’s team wants to pressure Israel into a premature withdrawal that would empower Iran’s proxies.

Israel has declared it holds no territorial ambitions in Lebanon but demands security to stop rocket attacks on northern Israeli communities. Full Israeli withdrawal will only occur after Hezbollah is disarmed, while Israel maintains a buffer zone and operational capabilities against emerging threats. The article references Hezbollah’s recent tunnel network destroyed by the IDF, which included a drone production and launch site, underscoring Israel’s security concerns.

The US message is clear: Lebanese sovereignty depends on Beirut confronting Hezbollah rather than pressuring Israel to withdraw. This stance provides Israel with crucial diplomatic backing amid fears that the Iran deal might have pushed for a rapid Israeli pullout from southern Lebanon.