ROME, June 23. /TASS/. Israeli President Isaac Herzog says that he thinks that it was a mistake to include the Lebanon issue in the negotiation process between the United States and Iran.
"An agreement with Lebanon could be signed straight away tomorrow. There are no territorial disputes there. And I must repeat it again to the world community that the terrorist organization Hezbollah is standing in the way of this, and that involving Iran in the Lebanese-Israeli settlement process would be a big mistake," he said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
According to Herzog, this aspect of the talks is of great concern for Israel and it conveyed its concerns to the US side with regard to that fact.
On June 17, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding envisaging an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. On June 21, the US and Iran held talks in Switzerland’s Burgenstock, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as mediators, to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding. The negotiating teams agreed to set up a group on settling the conflicts, including in Lebanon. According to a joint statement by Qatar and Pakistan, Lebanon will be represented in this body.
On June 23-25, Washington will host the fifth round of the US-brokered Lebanese-Israeli talks. According to the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the Lebanese delegation, led by diplomat Simon Karan, will insist on discussing the timeframe for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in exchange for Lebanon’s commitment to ensure that the area south of the Litani River is a "safe zone free of weapons." Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said again on Monday that Israel intends to remain in Lebanon.