JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Trump that Israel will not withdraw forces from Lebanon and does not consider itself bound by provisions in a new U.S.-Iran agreement calling for a halt to military operations there, Israeli officials said Monday.

The stance puts Netanyahu at odds with the Trump administration as it seeks to finalize the agreement with Iran, which aims to end the broader conflict and includes a key demand from Tehran for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.

Netanyahu spoke with Trump by phone Sunday after a security cabinet meeting, according to multiple Israeli media reports. He made clear that the Israel Defense Forces would remain in positions they currently occupy in southern Lebanon and would continue operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

“The IDF will not withdraw from Lebanon, will remain in the positions it currently occupies, and will continue to act to thwart the threat from Hezbollah — including destroying terrorist infrastructure and responding to any attack against Israel,” Netanyahu told Trump, according to quotes reported by Israeli outlets citing officials.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said troops would stay deployed indefinitely in buffer zones seized in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza to counter militant threats. Ministers in the security cabinet gave Netanyahu full backing for the position, officials said.

The U.S.-Iran agreement, announced by Trump and mediated in part by Pakistan, calls for a permanent halt to military operations on multiple fronts, including Lebanon. A signing is reportedly scheduled for Friday in Switzerland.

Netanyahu and Trump have clashed repeatedly over Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah. The group has been engaged in cross-border fighting with Israel, which intensified amid the wider regional conflict.

Israeli officials have described the Lebanon clause as a red line, insisting the Jewish state must retain freedom of action to protect its northern border communities.

The developments come as Israel continues targeted operations in Lebanon following recent rocket fire and other threats from Hezbollah.

Neither the White House nor Trump’s office immediately commented on the conversation with Netanyahu. Trump has previously described efforts to broker regional deals while urging restraint from all sides.

The tensions highlight ongoing strains in the U.S.-Israel relationship even as both nations have coordinated closely against Iranian threats in the past. Netanyahu has long positioned Israel’s security needs as paramount, independent of international agreements.