Peloni: It is relevant to note that peace talks including the leadership of the LAF with Israel broke down this morning. The goal line of having the LAF act as an honest independent party is going to be Iran’s failsafe in these negotiations, and this was always going to be the case. The way to eliminate Iran’s dominiation of Lebanon lies in dealing with the Iranian leadership in Iran, not in having the complicit LAF dealing with the Iranian proxy in Lebanon. Cut off the Iranian funding, THEN follow thru in Lebanon.
The US had pressured Israel to adhere to a real ceasefire with Hezbollah. In the past, the ceasefires were only in name, and strikes continued against one another.
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN | June 24, 2026
A new round of Israel-Lebanon talks began in Washington on June 23 in a complex environment because Iran is trying to salvage its Hezbollah proxy.
Iran has tied the conflict in Lebanon to the Iran talks in Switzerland. Therefore, the US has pressured Israel to adhere to a real ceasefire with Hezbollah.
In the past, the ceasefires were in name only, and Israel continued strikes on Hezbollah and Hezbollah continued attacks on the IDF in Lebanon.
When the talks began on June 23, there appeared to be considerable pessimism on the Israeli side. However, there is now a chance that something good can come from them.
What would disarmament look like in southern Lebanon?
One thing that might happen is that Lebanon could be pressured to ensure that its army can administer areas where the IDF withdraws. This kind of “pilot” project has been under discussion for a month or more. In addition, the US has discussed possibly supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces by vetting certain units to improve them.
So far, it’s just talk.
The Lebanese Army proved incapable of disarming Hezbollah in 2025 when it had a real opportunity, its biggest chance in decades to actually do something.
Hezbollah was weakened and cut off from Iran. The Islamic regime had suffered blows from Israel and the US in the 12 Day War. Hezbollah could have been disarmed, at least in some areas. The Lebanese Army preferred to claim it was doing things, but did not actually do anything. It squandered a huge opportunity.
Now there is a chance to try again.
What would a pilot project look like in Lebanon?
Arab News reported on June 24 that “talks between Israel and Lebanon include discussion of a US-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over some of the territory they invaded during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, according to Israeli and Lebanese officials.”
The report said that “the Israeli officials said the Lebanese troops involved would undergo US training and vetting to ensure they are not linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Israel would maintain a military presence in a buffer zone along the ?border.”
This is a big deal. The concept of the pilot project would be a revolution for Lebanon. It is now supposed to be discussed in the coming days.
“Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confirmed that determination of the model areas remains under discussion ‘pending approval from the Israeli side,’” Arab News noted.
“Work is underway to consolidate the ceasefire in the south, to be followed by the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the deployment of the Lebanese army, the return of the residents, the release of prisoners, and the start of the reconstruction process,” the Lebanese presidency said.
Now the nitty-gritty has to be discussed.
“Asked about the Israeli officials’ comments, a senior Lebanese security official said discussions were ongoing in Washington – and that Wednesday would see specific military-to-military discussions, ?including on the pilot zones,” Arab News said.
It added: “The ?Lebanese official said the discussions would focus on a timeline ?for withdrawal and that any plan would emerge only after ?the final day of talks on Thursday. The official did not respond to a request for comment on the Israeli officials’ account of US vetting of Lebanese troops.” Al-Ain news in the UAE, Reuters, and others have reported essentially the same information.
It remains to be seen if this will actually happen.
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