US, Iran to form 'deconflicting cell' on Lebanon, sidelining Lebanese state
The agreement came during talks between Iran and the United States following a preliminary deal reached last week to end the war across the Middle East, including in Lebanon.
BEIRUT — The United States and Iran agreed on Monday to establish a mechanism aimed at ending the fighting in Lebanon, a move that could further complicate Beirut's insistence that the Lebanon file remain separate from broader US-Iran negotiations.
What happened: The agreement was part of the understandings reached during the first round of talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their war, held in the Swiss resort town of Burgenstock.
According to a joint statement released by mediators Qatar and Pakistan following the conclusion of the talks on Monday, the United States and Iran “agreed on the creation of a deconfliction cell, between the parties, the Lebanese Republic and facilitated by the mediators, to ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi praised the newly established deconfliction cell, describing it as the “first real test.”
“Tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end [the] Lebanon War,” he wrote on X on Monday.
The semi-official Iranian Mehr news agency also reported that Monday’s talks resulted in an agreement to establish three technical working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions and monitoring, including monitoring the ceasefire in Lebanon.
The talks in Switzerland came after Tehran and Washington reached a preliminary agreement last Wednesday calling for an immediate end to hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon where Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire since early March.
To stabilize the ceasefire in Lebanon, Mehr said a monitoring mechanism would be established with Iran’s participation.
“Through this mechanism, the Islamic Republic of Iran effectively and officially enters Lebanon's security equations, whereas in recent months, the Americans made considerable efforts to exclude Iran from Lebanon's equations,” the report said, adding that Israel would not be part of the mechanism.
Why it matters: A fragile calm prevailed in southern Lebanon on Sunday, coinciding with the US-Iran talks, after days of intense fighting between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces positioned inside Lebanese territory, as well as a series of Israeli airstrikes.
US Vice President JD Vance headed the US delegation at the talks in Switzerland, which also included US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Iran’s delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as well as Araghchi.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with Vance and Kushner on Monday to discuss steps to consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon and end Israeli attacks, including the possibility of establishing a monitoring cell, according to a presidency statement.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also took part in the call.
As of Monday, no Israeli airstrikes had been reported in southern Lebanon. Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite several extensions of a US-brokered ceasefire in recent weeks, citing Hezbollah threats.
In a statement on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep Israeli forces in the so-called Yellow Line — which extends roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Lebanese territory — “for as long as necessary.”
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem responded in a televised address on Sunday, rejecting any Israeli military presence in Lebanon as “impossible.”
“There are no security zones for Israel … we have a national army that deploys, and it is responsible for preserving sovereignty, and it is who we cooperate with,” Qassem said.
Lebanon and Israel reached their own ceasefire on June 3, which Hezbollah rejected, vowing to continue fighting until all Israeli attacks cease and Israeli forces fully withdraw.
Know more: The US-Iran deal has complicated efforts by Aoun and his government to reach an agreement with Israel through direct talks and secure Hezbollah's disarmament.
Lebanon and Israel launched landmark ambassador-level talks in Washington on April 16, weeks after the resumption of war between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2.
In a statement on Monday, Aoun again welcomed any assistance aimed at ending the war in Lebanon.
“But we distinguish between assistance and interference in internal affairs, as we are a sovereign country and no one negotiates on our behalf,” he said, stressing that “it is the state, not sects, that protects everyone. There is no alternative to a single, strong state that represents all Lebanese, and efforts to achieve this goal are ongoing.”
A fifth round of Lebanese-Israeli talks is scheduled to begin in Washington on Tuesday.
