President Donald Trump’s peace deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is in jeopardy before it can even take effect, as Israeli leaders signal no sense of obligation to end their war in Lebanon.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that “the memorandum of understanding to end the war between Iran and America is scheduled to be signed on Friday,” confirming Trump’s message Sunday that the long-awaited peace deal was imminent. However, the Iranians have repeatedly asserted that any ceasefire deal will necessitate an end to hostilities in Lebanon, which Israel is not prepared to accept. In fact, Israel is now claiming the entire proposal is a slap in the face and a challenge to their sovereignty — and will not be bound by it.
“Israel is not subordinate to the United States. We are an independent and sovereign country,” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in response to the peace deal announcement. “We are not partners to this agreement, which does not safeguard our security. We must not withdraw from any [Lebanese] territory that our fighters have captured.”
Ben-Gvir said that while “we love the USA and are grateful to President Trump,” his country must “not compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah.”
