Senior US official: Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon isn’t condition of the Iran deal
A US official who spoke with i24NEWS says, "if Iran isn't able to control Hezbollah and if they attack Israeli positions or Israeli towns, Israel will have the right to defend themselves and respond”
The Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran has been signed by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday, ahead of Trump’s arrival to the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France.
According to US officials the MOU's text will be released within the next 24 to 48 hours, with Trump later indicating the document would be published sometime after Friday's formal signing ceremony in Geneva.
Two US senior officials in Washington who spoke with i24NEWS outlined three core elements of the agreement. "The more that the Iranians are willing to work with us on their nuclear program, on verifying that they're not building a nuclear weapon, and on not funding radicalism and terrorism in the region, the more that they're going to be welcomed into the world economy," the first official said. "If they're willing to behave like a normal country, then we're willing to treat them like a normal country."
Not a condition of the deal is Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon. According to the second official: “The deal is a ceasefire, and it will not be a one-way ceasefire, meaning that if Iran is not able to control Hezbollah and if they attack Israeli positions or Israeli towns, Israel will have the right to defend themselves and respond.”
The deal also provides for the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade, though officials cautioned that mine clearance and varying crew risk tolerances mean a gradual return to normal traffic. "You will see a significant increase in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, actually starting already," the first official said, adding that Brent crude had already fallen to $83 a barrel. The Strait will remain toll-free for 60 days, with officials expecting that provision to be incorporated into a final agreement.
The second official also attributed Iran's willingness to negotiate to the degradation of its economy and military. "The significant damage from the war on their industrial base, on their military left them much weaker than they've ever been before," the official said, adding that internal divisions within the Iranian government had also created pressure to engage.
On sanctions relief, the officials pushed back on comparisons to the 2015 JCPOA, stressing that financial access would be strictly performance-based. "We don't pay for play," the second official said. "You can't give them access to their funds if they're just going to use that money to fund terrorists."
The deal includes a ceasefire provision that officials said would not be one-sided. "If Iran is not able to control Hezbollah and they attack Israeli positions or Israeli towns, Israel will have the right to defend themselves and respond."
Vance will continue to lead negotiations. The officials said they expect to know within two to three weeks whether current understandings will translate into a final agreement. The Israeli embassy in Washington separately told i24NEWS that the next round of Israel-Lebanon talks is still expected to take place in Washington next week.