Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed Monday that one of the main disputes between Israel and the United States during negotiations with Iran centered on Tehran’s demand to link Lebanon to the agreement. Israel ultimately secured U.S. and Lebanese recognition of its right to remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.

According to Katz, Iran pressed the Trump administration to include the Lebanese front in the agreement, and President Donald Trump repeatedly urged Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to tie the two arenas together during five phone calls. Katz said he participated in four of those conversations, while Netanyahu insisted Israel would continue acting against security threats in Lebanon and would not withdraw from the security zone.

The defense minister said the IDF originally prepared a much broader operational plan aimed at collapsing Hezbollah and dismantling its military capabilities, but later shifted to a more limited campaign focused on disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani River following the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. He also claimed Hezbollah decided to attack Israel during Operation Rising Lion under Iranian pressure, and said Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem sought to change the rules of engagement by launching an offensive rather than simply responding.

Approximately 300 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated during Operation Eternal Darkness following what Katz described as exceptional intelligence gathering. He added that Israel notified the United States in advance before operations at the Beaufort Ridge, including the destruction of a strategic Hezbollah tunnel, and said additional strategic tunnels in the area remain targets for future operations.

Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon but will not withdraw until Hezbollah is disarmed, Katz said. Under the pilot arrangement reached last week, the IDF is expected to leave two positions that will be taken over by the Lebanese Army, which will be responsible for acting against Hezbollah in those areas. He stressed that any future withdrawals will require Israeli approval and that every Hezbollah violation will continue to be met with military action.

Addressing Iran, Katz said Israeli officials have recently identified what he described as a “concrete tactical threat” from Tehran. “There is no scenario in which Iran attacks Israel and Israel does not respond,” he said, adding that “the next round with Iran will be blue and white.” He said the IDF has already been instructed to prepare operational plans against Iran and expressed confidence that the United States would at least assist Israel on the defensive front if Iran launches another attack.

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