Israeli and Lebanese delegations are set to meet in Washington on Tuesday for another round of talks focused on the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and continued discussions on the prospect of normalization between the two countries.
The talks will take place over the next three days along two parallel tracks. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, who is leading the delegation, will focus on the political and diplomatic aspects of the negotiations. At the same time, separate meetings on military issues will be led by Brig.-Gen. Amichai Levin, head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate’s Strategic Division. The Lebanese delegation will be headed by Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Maawad, together with former Lebanese ambassador to Washington Simon Karam.
According to two sources familiar with the negotiations, a central focus of the talks will be a proposed pilot program, under which the Lebanese Armed Forces would begin deploying to selected areas in southern Lebanon and dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure there.
One of the key disputes concerns where the pilot program should begin. Lebanon wants the initial deployment to take place in areas currently under Israeli military control, with Israel withdrawing from each area as the Lebanese Army moves in. Israeli officials, however, insist that the first phase should begin in an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are not currently deployed. Israel’s position is that it first wants to see the Lebanese Army demonstrate its ability to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its infrastructure in a defined area before Israel fully withdraws from any territory and entrusts the mission to the Lebanese authorities.
Iran, US agree to deconfliction cell in Lebanon
The talks are taking place against the backdrop of Iran’s renewed involvement in Lebanon, this time under US sponsorship, following the conclusion of the latest round of US-Iran talks in Switzerland. At the end of those discussions, Iran and the United States agreed to establish a “deconfliction cell” involving Lebanon to prevent further military operations in the country.
According to the joint statement, “The parties agreed on the creation of a de-confliction cell, between the parties, the Lebanese Republic and facilitated by the Mediators, to ensure adherence to the termination of military operations in Lebanon.”
On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed the new mechanism with President Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Lebanese officials questioning US promotion of Iran's Lebanon influence
Two Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post that, although Aoun has publicly welcomed the initiative, senior Lebanese officials have privately questioned why the United States is facilitating renewed Iranian influence in Lebanon after months of successfully reducing Tehran’s footprint in the country.
Another concern expressed by Lebanese officials is that Iran’s renewed role could encourage Hezbollah to refuse cooperation with any disarmament initiative. Signs of the group’s resistance are already evident in recent statements by senior Hezbollah officials, who now insist that Israel must complete a full withdrawal from Lebanese territory before the organization takes any steps toward disarmament.