Concern is rising in Israel after the US and Iran reported progress in talks in Switzerland, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying his country must “free” itself from dependence on the US. Mr Netanyahu made his comments last Thursday while meeting with officers, according to a statement released by his office on Tuesday. “I greatly appreciate the support we received from our American friends, but we need to free ourselves from dependence and build our own independent armaments system,” he was quoted as saying. The statement was published shortly after Iran and the US finished their first round of talks in Switzerland, with mediators Qatar and Pakistan saying “encouraging progress” had been made and unveiling a road map towards a final agreement. Despite reports that Iranian negotiators had walked out on Sunday over threats made by US President Donald Trump, the mediators said the talks had been conducted in a “positive and encouraging atmosphere”. While Israel has developed an advanced weapons industry, US military and diplomatic support are vital pillars of the country's security. Many experts say Israel would struggle to defend itself if it did not have US support, often recalling last year's 12-day war with Iran, during which the US used large numbers of expensive interceptor missiles to shoot down Iranian projectiles fired at Israel. Progress in talks between Iran and the US will worry those Israeli politicians who say the terms being discussed threaten their country’s security. Iran's demand that Israel end its campaign against Hezbollah and withdraw from southern Lebanon is an immediate concern, with Mr Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz having stressed that this will not happen.Mr Netanyahu's office published two separate Hebrew-language statements on Monday insisting that there would be no withdrawal and that Israeli soldiers continue to operate freely in Lebanon. In one statement, Mr Netanyahu, Mr Katz and military chief of staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir said the army “will continue to act with determination to thwart threats to our soldiers and citizens, to destroy terrorist infrastructure and to continue to maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon”.On Monday, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reaffirmed his previous pledge to maintain what Israeli leaders call a “security zone” in southern Lebanon. “We don’t have territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but we will not withdraw from the security zone and expose our citizens to Hezbollah’s attacks and possible invasion,” Mr Saar wrote on social media.A billboard outside Beirut shows Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and his late father Ali Khamenei. ReutersInfoAccording to a report in The New York Times, Israel's military has limited its troops' activities to mostly defensive actions. Soldiers may now fire only in response to immediate threats, while any other actions would need Lt Gen Zamir's approval. Mr Trump on Monday said that “we are going to take a look at” Israel's insistence that it stays in Lebanon. “I am a problem solver. I can solve problems fast, including with Bibi,” he added, referring to Mr Netanyahu. On Tuesday, senior Israeli officials continued to insist no withdrawal would take place, with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich telling Army Radio that it “simply will not happen”. “We are standing firm on this position. We have made it clear to the Americans,” he added.US Vice President JD Vance at Emmen Airbase in Switzerland after talks with Iran on Monday. Getty ImagesInfoAddressing a media briefing in Jerusalem, President Isaac Herzog said that “Iran cannot dictate the future of Lebanon”. However, he also condemned “derogatory statements” made by Israeli politicians against US officials. Despite statements from Israeli officials that relations with the US remain strong, Israeli media reported on progress in the Iran talks with alarm.Guy Azriel of i24 News described the creation of a “deconfliction cell” in Lebanon, which was announced by mediators on Monday, as an “outrageous development”. “Israel – the country expected to bear the security consequences of violations – is not even listed as a party,” he said.“The Lebanese government is a party to it. Israel and Hezbollah not even mentioned. With Iran now officially involved in the decision-making over Lebanon, it's unclear what is left for Israel and Lebanon to negotiate in the fifth round of talks at the State Department tomorrow,” he later wrote on social media.CBS News reported on Monday that the US military had established a process to monitor the conflict in Lebanon, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Mr Netanyahu on Friday.Israeli opposition politician Naftali Bennett, considered among the favourites to replace Mr Netanyahu as Prime Minister in elections due to take place by October, wrote on social media that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Katz were lying about Israel's military having freedom of action in southern Lebanon.“This is abandonment … release now, at this very moment, the hands of our soldiers,” he wrote on Tuesday. “The soldiers see with their own eyes Hezbollah terrorists re-establishing themselves, repairing infrastructure, arming up and returning to activity, and our soldiers are forbidden from opening fire on them.”