Report Says Lebanon Included in Emerging Trump-Brokered Deal

The Hezbollah-linked Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported Friday that Iran has received a final U.S. answer saying Lebanon is included in the emerging agreement. The paper also claimed U.S. President Donald Trump spoke three times with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Lebanon.

According to the report, the understandings are meant to do more than halt fighting, they are intended to end the state of war in Lebanon. The plan reportedly includes a complete stop to all military activity, a timetable for a rapid Israeli withdrawal, an end to demolition and land-clearing operations, and the release of Lebanese prisoners.

Al-Akhbar said the breakthrough came Thursday afternoon during talks in Doha led by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The meeting reportedly included a senior Iranian official who arrived in the Qatari capital and a senior envoy on Trump’s behalf. The paper said the deal would begin steps to end the state of war in the Gulf and the wider region, including Lebanon, and that the Americans accepted a formula for ending the war rather than only a temporary ceasefire.

The report also said Qatar crafted a solution for frozen Iranian funds, one that would let Tehran access its money without embarrassing Trump or appearing as an American concession to Iran. However, the sweeping details about Israeli withdrawal and prisoner releases have not been officially confirmed by Washington or Jerusalem. Trump confirmed he spoke with Netanyahu and said the deal could be signed within days, while Iran said no final decision has been made. The Prime Minister’s Office said Israel is not a party to the developing memorandum of understanding. A separate U.S. report said the draft would extend the ceasefire for 60 days, including in Lebanon, while talks continue on a fuller agreement, but it did not confirm Al-Akhbar’s claim of a fast and complete Israeli pullout.