US intelligence agencies have warned the White House that continued Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon may undermine the Trump administration’s recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with Iran, according to a report in The Washington Post on Friday.
The report was published shortly after it was announced that Israel and Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah had reached a ceasefire agreement.
IDF spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin clarified on Friday afternoon that the military will continue to remove immediate threats to Israel’s national security and respond to any Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire.
Current and former US officials claimed to The Washington Post that intelligence reports indicate that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders continued operations against Hezbollah, it may negatively impact the success of the fragile US-Iran agreement.
One US official familiar with the reports alleged that Netanyahu’s political future in upcoming elections is tied to proving that he is intent on continuing Israel’s efforts to defeat Hezbollah.
The reports, The Washington Post stated, reflect the possibility that the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon or suspension of operations against Hezbollah will be seen as a defeat for Netanyahu.
Israeli perception that US-Iran deal prevents defense against Hezbollah
According to another official, the reports detail Israel’s perception that the MoU may prevent it from defending itself against threats originating in Lebanon and undermine its goal of maintaining pressure on the Islamic regime in Iran, which has maintained Hezbollah as a terrorist proxy in the region.
An Israeli official, speaking to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity, stated that “Israeli military activity in Lebanon is for the sole purpose of defending Israeli citizens from continuous attacks by Hezbollah.”
One US official extrapolated that even if Israel does not escalate operations against Hezbollah, its sustained military presence in Lebanon may be enough to derail the deal.
“Continuing to occupy part of Lebanon is a recipe for disaster,” the official told The Washington Post, adding that without the IDF fully withdrawing, the resumption of hostilities “is all but certain.”
Trump administration officials have reportedly insisted that the terms of the deal do not prevent Israel from responding to ceasefire breaches and that Israeli concerns are less significant than the need to maintain a deal that reopens the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.