A new Wall Street Journal editorial says the Trump administration does not support an immediate Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, instead tying any future pullout to the complete disarmament of Hezbollah.

According to the report, a trilateral framework signed Friday by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon is intended to curb Iranian influence in Lebanon while giving Beirut an opportunity to reassert sovereignty over Hezbollah. The agreement states that Israel and Lebanon recognize each other’s right to exist in peace and security as sovereign neighbors, language considered highly significant in the Lebanese context.

For Israel, the most important element of the framework is Washington’s recognition that the Israel Defense Forces can remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed. Under the first phase of the agreement, Israel is expected to transfer two small pilot sectors to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which will be responsible for dismantling terrorist infrastructure and confronting “non-state armed groups”—a diplomatic reference to Hezbollah.

The Wall Street Journal said some officials aligned with JD Vance had initially argued that the Lebanon agreement conflicted with the broader U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. However, administration sources told the newspaper the opposite is true, saying the Lebanon framework represents the official U.S. interpretation of the Iran agreement as it relates to Lebanon.

The report adds that Vance fully backs Marco Rubio on the issue and that no one in President Trump’s administration supports forcing Israel to hand southern Lebanon over to Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Instead, the administration’s position is that Israel should not be required to withdraw until Hezbollah has been disarmed.

As part of the agreement, Israel reiterated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon and is seeking only to prevent renewed rocket attacks on northern Israeli communities. Until Hezbollah is dismantled, Israel is expected to maintain a security buffer zone and retain the ability to act against emerging threats.

The report also points to Hezbollah’s continued military activity in southern Lebanon, including the recent destruction of a tunnel complex that Israeli forces said was used to manufacture and launch drones. According to the editorial, such threats underscore Israel’s argument that maintaining a military presence in the area remains necessary until Hezbollah is no longer an armed force.

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