Israel confirms military presence in south Lebanon
JERUSALEM — June 21 (IANS) — Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that the Israeli army will not withdraw from the "security zone" it holds in southern Lebanon.
Katz affirmed in a statement that the Israeli military would remain at all positions within the security zone, which he stated protects northern Israeli settlements. He added that there is no restriction on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon to act to eliminate threats, according to Xinhua news agency reporting cited by The Hawk.
Statements from Defence Minister Katz
Katz said that following Hezbollah attacks on Israeli forces, the army responded forcefully. According to his statement, these actions resulted in eliminating many Hezbollah militants and damaging terror infrastructures.
The minister stressed that preserving the lives of soldiers and citizens is the highest and absolute priority for Israel.
US-Iran negotiations at Buergenstock
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance led a delegation to talks on Sunday at the Buergenstock mountain resort in central Switzerland. The Iranian delegation was led by Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to reports from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
Negotiators arrived at the venue earlier that day to implement a memorandum of understanding signed by both sides.
Iran's position on MoU implementation
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in an interview that his country is determined to pursue US implementation of its commitments under the recently signed memorandum of agreement during the upcoming meeting. He stated this determination would be pursued regardless of other factors.
In a post on social media platform X, Baghaei noted that the scheduled meeting between Iran and the United States was aimed at following up on the MoU's implementation.
Conditions for final negotiations
Baghaei stated in his social media post that according to the memorandum of understanding, the initiation of negotiations between Iran and the United States on a final agreement is conditional upon specific actions. These conditions include ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon; lifting the US naval blockade; and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Contextual details
The article was published by The Hawk with updates provided at 08:21 PM local time on June 21, 2026. Tags associated with the report include sanctions, United States, Iran, Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Lebanon, Hezbollah, Middle East, and Negotiations.