Netanyahu: No troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon despite US-Iran deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel’s military will remain in southern Lebanon, where it has occupied up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border. The statement was his first public comment since the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Israel has been fighting the militant group Hezbollah there. Netanyahu’s remarks signal a clear rejection of any immediate pullback, despite the broader diplomatic deal. It remains unclear what the US-Iran agreement means in practice. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are parties to that deal.