US official defends Israel-Lebanon agreement, says Iran wanted to prolong conflict in ‘cynical strategy’

The Trump administration is defending this week’s agreement to extend an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and create Hezbollah-free zones in southern Lebanon as the best chance for peace between the two countries in years.

A US official says that Wednesday’s agreement is the first step in a process that must end with the demilitarization of Hezbollah, full security control south of the Litani River by the Lebanese Armed Forces, and the restoration of complete sovereignty to the Lebanese government.

The official, who speaks on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly, claims that Iran had wanted to prolong the conflict and “claim credit for saving the day” by trying to undermine the talks, but that the June 3 agreement had “exposed that cynical strategy.”