Lebanon’s presidential and government authorities are closely monitoring U.S.-led efforts to advance the implementation of the Lebanese-Israeli framework agreement, as Washington seeks to facilitate the deployment of the Lebanese army in two pilot areas in southern Lebanon amid wider efforts to separate the Lebanese track from regional negotiations involving Iran.

The efforts are being led by U.S. General Joseph Clearfield, head of the committee overseeing the implementation mechanism, who has been tasked by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper with engaging Israel to pave the way for the Lebanese army’s deployment in the designated areas.

The proposed deployment would initially cover the towns of Froun and al-Ghandourieh in the Bint Jbeil district, as well as western and eastern Zawtar in the Nabatieh district, in line with the provisions of the framework agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel.

A Lebanese ministerial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the geographic scope of the two pilot areas could eventually be expanded to include additional southern towns.

According to the source, Washington is pressing for the army deployment to take place in the two areas, potentially before July 11, when U.S.-Iranian negotiations are scheduled to resume in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Message aimed at Iran and Hezbollah

The source said the deployment carries a political message directed at Iran and, through it, at Lebanon’s Shiite political duo of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement.

“The deployment aims to demonstrate that the separation between the Iranian and Lebanese tracks has begun to move toward implementation,” the source said, arguing that this contradicts Hezbollah’s and Tehran’s approach of linking the two issues and treating the framework agreement as impossible to implement.

The source said the creation of a committee under a U.S.-Iranian memorandum of understanding is intended to provide political cover for continued direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

According to the source, the objective is to establish conditions that would allow talks between the two countries to resume on the basis of recognizing the framework agreement as an agenda for reaching a final settlement, with direct U.S. backing.

From Washington’s perspective, the source said, this places responsibility on Iran to pressure Hezbollah to support the diplomatic approach adopted by Lebanon’s presidency.

Lebanon seeks to limit Iran’s influence over the file

The source said the framework agreement had effectively taken the Lebanese issue out of Iran’s hands, despite Tehran’s continued attempts to promote its own memorandum of understanding with Washington as an alternative mechanism.

He said Hezbollah and Amal have backed that approach and have treated the framework agreement since its announcement as unworkable, arguing that it does not include a clear timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon or explicit provisions to formalize the ceasefire.

The source stressed that a mechanism must be established for the Lebanese army’s deployment under U.S. supervision, with Washington monitoring implementation and intervening immediately in case of violations.

He added that expanding the two pilot areas to include additional towns would also be possible as part of the process.

According to the source, the army’s deployment would strengthen the credibility of the framework agreement and demonstrate Lebanon’s commitment — at both the presidential and governmental levels — to pursuing the deal.

The move would also reinforce President Joseph Aoun’s position in defending the agreement against Hezbollah and Amal, ultimately weakening the arguments used by its opponents if Lebanon and Israel reach a final accord.

“The United States now has a responsibility to provide the political momentum needed to put the army deployment into effect,” the source said, adding that this would reinforce the view that the framework agreement is achievable.

Removing Hezbollah’s arguments against the agreement

The source said that deploying the army would undermine the arguments used by Hezbollah and Amal to justify their support for a separate negotiation track involving Iran.

“Simply deploying the army would begin removing the pretexts used by the Shiite duo to justify their reliance on the Islamabad track,” the source said.

Such a move, he added, would reduce political pressure on President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, allowing them to confront opposition to the agreement and demonstrate that their approach is based on a realistic path forward.

The source argued that the U.S.-Iranian track cannot replace the Lebanese-Israeli framework agreement, either now or in the future.

Washington pressures Netanyahu over southern Lebanon operations

The source also stressed the need for Washington to intervene with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to facilitate the Lebanese army’s deployment.

He pointed to President Donald Trump’s reported involvement in preventing Israel from expanding military operations by targeting Ali al-Taher hill, a strategic position where Hezbollah is believed to have fortified its presence.

According to the source, the hill represents Hezbollah’s main defensive position and is viewed by the group as a key barrier preventing further Israeli advances into towns north of the Litani River.

Israeli forces have already occupied several frontline villages overlooking the southern bank of the river and established fire control over other areas, the source said.

He argued that Trump’s intervention should help restrain Netanyahu’s actions and prevent further escalation.

The source said Netanyahu would not have needed to continue threatening an attack on Ali al-Taher hill if he had received a U.S. green light providing political cover for such an operation.

The hill has become a symbolic issue, with Hezbollah determined not to abandon it while Netanyahu has sought to target and seize the position.

The source said Trump’s role has gone beyond preventing a broader Israeli military escalation ahead of Netanyahu’s expected visit to Washington. He said the U.S. president has also shown an understanding of Lebanon’s demand to expand the two pilot areas.

U.S. pressure on Netanyahu is expected to continue, the source said, arguing that Israel is unlikely, in the near term, to carry out its threat to seize Ali al-Taher hill.

Any such operation, he added, could negatively affect the resumption of U.S.-Iranian negotiations because Tehran would face pressure not to remain silent, particularly as it links the continuation of the southern Lebanon ceasefire to broader regional arrangements.

The source questioned why Iran continues to insist on linking Lebanon’s situation to the Islamabad negotiations despite what he described as a firm U.S. rejection of such an approach — a position repeatedly expressed by Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Army deployment seen as first step toward Israeli withdrawal

The source, who opposes Hezbollah and Amal’s position, expressed hope that facilitating the Lebanese army’s deployment would represent the first step toward establishing a timetable for a phased Israeli withdrawal.

“This is what we are counting on,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said Washington must continue increasing pressure on Israel to support the Lebanese presidency’s position against domestic opponents who reject the framework agreement.

According to the source, Hezbollah’s refusal to accept the agreement is linked to its insistence on maintaining its weapons and rejecting their transfer to the Lebanese state, despite the principle that security authority should belong exclusively to state institutions.

He questioned the reasons behind Hezbollah’s continued commitment to maintaining its arsenal despite the imbalance in military power, its inability to sustain another major conflict, and its setbacks in the face of Israeli advances.

The source argued that Hezbollah’s position reflects reliance on Iranian guarantees, even though the group understands that linking the Lebanese and Iranian tracks will not provide a practical solution.

For this reason, he said, Lebanon’s presidency, government and their supporters are relying on Trump maintaining his position by preventing further Israeli escalation while taking into account Lebanese concerns during negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement.

President Aoun, he added, remains committed to a formula based on a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal in exchange for Hezbollah surrendering its weapons to the state, viewing this as the foundation for ending the long-standing state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel.