US, Israel and Lebanon Sign Framework to End Hostilities and Disarm Hezbollah
The trilateral agreement outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal contingent on verified disarmament of non-state armed groups, with pilot zones and US-mediated working groups to follow.
On 26 June, Israel, Lebanon and the United States signed a trilateral framework agreement in Washington intended to end the conflict along the Israeli-Lebanese border and establish a path towards a comprehensive peace. At the signing ceremony, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the accord as “the beginning of the beginning,” while Lebanon’s ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad called it a first step towards restoring sovereignty and enabling displaced civilians to return. Israel’s envoy Yechiel Leiter declared that under the deal “Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.”
The 14-point text, released by the US State Department, commits both states to “conclusively end the conflict” and formally terminate any state of war. It establishes a reciprocal, phased process: the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) are to restore effective sovereignty over all Lebanese territory, contingent on the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and the dismantling of their infrastructure. This, in turn, is to enable the Israel Defense Forces to “progressively redeploy out of the Lebanese territory.” Two initial pilot zones have been agreed, where the LAF will assume full security responsibility after disarmament is confirmed, allowing internationally supported reconstruction and the return of civilians. The United States intends to verify and support the process, and has pledged $100 million in humanitarian assistance and $30 million to reimburse the Lebanese army for capacity-building.
The positions of the parties reveal the agreement’s fragility. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces would remain in a security zone until Hezbollah is disarmed, and that the military would allow the LAF to take control only in the two pilot areas. Lebanese government officials, including President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, emphasised that the framework must lead to a full Israeli withdrawal and the restoration of state authority. Hezbollah rejected the accord: its leader, Naim Qassem, insisted Israel “must leave unconditionally,” while MP Hassan Fadlallah warned that US-backed implementation would push Lebanon towards civil war. Iranian state-aligned media described the framework as a plan to disarm Hezbollah, with Fars News Agency calling it a “satanic agreement.” Tehran had not issued an official reaction.
The agreement follows five rounds of direct talks in Washington, initiated after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East war on 2 March with rocket fire aimed at Israel, in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion, displacing over a million Lebanese and killing more than 4,200, according to Lebanese authorities. A truce announced on 17 April failed, and a fragile ceasefire declared this month remains tenuous. The framework now mandates the immediate establishment of working groups to draft a comprehensive peace and security agreement, and a US-facilitated military coordination group to oversee implementation. The next concrete steps are the formation of these groups and the beginning of verified disarmament in the pilot zones, though divergent interpretations of the sequencing of withdrawal and disarmament are likely to dominate the coming negotiations.
| Iranian & allied press | −0.80 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic / Anglosphere press | +0.30 | aligned |
| Arab Levant-Maghreb press | −0.20 | neutral |
We, the Iranian nation, have upheld our end of the ceasefire, but the United States has once again shown its true colors by launching an unprovoked attack on our soil. This aggression will not go unanswered, and the world must see who is the real obstacle to peace.
The narrative inverts the blame by framing the US response as an unprovoked escalation, while ignoring Iran's prior attack on the cargo ship. It uses the language of victimhood to delegitimize the US action and rally domestic and international sympathy.
The Iranian bloc omits any mention of the Iranian drone attack on the M/V Ever Lovely that triggered the US strikes, as well as the fact that the US strikes were explicitly framed as a response to that attack. This omission is crucial to maintain the victim narrative.
The United States has shown restraint, but when Iran attacks commercial shipping in clear violation of the ceasefire, we have no choice but to respond decisively. Our strikes are targeted and proportional, aimed at preventing further aggression and upholding the agreement.
The narrative frames the US action as a defensive, rule-based response, using the language of proportionality and enforcement. It omits the broader context of the conflict and presents the US as a neutral enforcer rather than a party to the agreement.
The atlantica bloc omits any mention of the US strikes hitting coastal radar sites and storage facilities that could be considered civilian infrastructure, as well as the Iranian perspective that the attack was unprovoked. It also does not mention that the US itself is a signatory to the framework agreement, not an impartial arbiter.
The Israeli military says it targeted terrorists, but the fact that this strike happened just days after the framework agreement was signed suggests that the ceasefire is already under strain. We watch and report, but the situation remains volatile.
The narrative uses a 'he said' style without endorsing any side, but the juxtaposition of the agreement and the strike creates an implicit narrative of fragility. It avoids direct criticism but lets the facts speak for themselves.
The arabo_levante_maghreb bloc omits any mention of the broader context of the conflict, such as the US-Iran strikes or the details of the framework agreement. It also does not include any Lebanese or Hezbollah perspective on the airstrike, which would likely be more critical.
Broaden your view
Washington lifts export curbs on UAE, granting licence-free access to AI chips and military items
4 languages · 11 outlets
From TechnologyOpenAI Launches ChatGPT Work Agent and Shutters Atlas Browser
7 languages · 7 outlets
From Science & HealthCarney’s Saudi Visit and Iran Overture Signal Canada’s Trade-First Pivot
2 languages · 5 outlets