Hours after the US and Iran announced a preliminary agreement aimed at cooling tensions across the Middle East, Israel made its position crystal clear: its troops aren’t going anywhere.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared on June 15 that Israeli Defense Forces will remain in southern Lebanon “indefinitely,” along with positions in Syria and Gaza, to protect Israel’s borders. The statement landed like a bucket of cold water on what was supposed to be a diplomatic win for the Trump administration, which brokered the memorandum of understanding with Iran on June 14.
What the US-Iran deal actually covers
The MOU extends an existing ceasefire that has been in place since roughly late February or early March. It also calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which a massive share of the world’s oil supply flows.
A formal signing is expected around June 19 in Switzerland. The agreement serves as a 60-day bridge to deeper negotiations on heavier topics: sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear program, and broader regional stability.
