Iran: Deal Requires Israel Exit Lebanon06/16 06:01

   Iran's top diplomat said Tuesday that the tentative deal to end the war with 
the United States would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon -- a condition 
Israel has already rejected and that could sink the agreement, leading to the 
resumption of all-out war.

   DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Iran's top diplomat said Tuesday that 
the tentative deal to end the war with the United States would require Israel 
to withdraw from Lebanon -- a condition Israel has already rejected and that 
could sink the agreement, leading to the resumption of all-out war.

   The deal, which is between the U.S. and Iran, has not been made public, and 
officials have sometimes offered contradictory interpretations of what is in 
it. While Israel is not party to the agreement, it is part of the war: It 
joined the U.S. in launching strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, and has since fought 
the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and seized large swaths of 
that country.

   Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel's continued occupation 
of southern Lebanon would violate the deal.

   "Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied 
during this war, the war has not fully come to an end," Araghchi said.

   Pakistan, a key mediator, has said the deal called for an end to military 
operations, including in Lebanon, as Iran long insisted. But Araghchi's call 
for a withdrawal adds a new wrinkle.

   A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss outlines of 
the agreement, has said the deal did not call for an Israeli withdrawal. And 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would remain 
in Lebanon "as long as necessary."

   The negotiations to end the war have been plagued by such disagreements 
before -- leading to a prolonged but uneasy ceasefire that has failed to 
develop into a permanent end to hostilities and that has left the Strait of 
Hormuz, a crucial waterway for the world's energy supplies, effectively shut.

   Unresolved issues cast doubt on agreement's long-term prospects

   The discrepancy underscored how much of the agreement remains apparently 
unresolved ahead of a planned ceremonial signing Friday in Geneva.

   The agreement is meant to provide a meaningful truce in a monthslong war 
that has killed thousands across the Middle East, including the top leaders of 
Iran's theocracy, and raised the prices of fuel, food and other basic goods far 
beyond the region.

   The unpublished agreement provides for the "immediate" opening of the Strait 
of Hormuz and lifting of the blockade, according to a senior U.S. official who 
spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss outlines of the 
agreement on Monday.

   Brokered mainly by Pakistan, it starts with the simultaneous lifting of 
Iran's closure of the strait and the U.S. blockade of Iran's ports, according 
to Pakistani officials. The United States and Iran will then begin 60 days of 
negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and the potential lifting of 
sanctions, Pakistani officials who helped broker the interim deal said, 
speaking on condition of anonymity about the unpublished text.

   It also includes the possibility of releasing Iran's frozen funds and a $300 
billion fund to help rebuild Iran if Tehran meets certain benchmarks, senior 
U.S. officials told reporters Monday. President Donald Trump later said the 
United States would not "invest" funds in Iran.

   Araghchi's comments Tuesday appear to match the understanding of two 
regional officials with direct knowledge of the interim deal. The officials, 
speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the 
closed-door negotiations, said it would require Israel to leave nearly all the 
territory it occupies in Lebanon, minus a few hilltop points along the border 
seized earlier.

   The officials say Iran insisted the accord include Lebanon in the last days 
of the negotiations. Regarding the timeline, the officials said the release of 
frozen Iranian assets are tied to Tehran implementing the deal. Gulf Arab 
states also have pledged to inject billions of dollars in Iran's economy, they 
added.

   Beyond Lebanon, there's one more point of possible contention on Iran's 
nuclear program. The interim deal begins a 60-day clock for talks over Tehran's 
stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

   Iran has agreed to discuss ways to possibly "dilute or remove" its 
stockpile, the officials said. However, it remains unclear whether Tehran would 
agree to that, particularly with hard-liners opposing to giving it up.

   U.S. officials have not yet explained how they see the agreement addressing 
Iran's nuclear program, including who will be in charge of verifying that Iran 
is in compliance and who will destroy or remove highly enriched uranium 
believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were badly damaged by U.S. 
strikes last summer.

   Despite anger, US allies push to make deal work at G7 summit

   Meanwhile, world leaders gathered in France for the first full day of the 
Group of Seven summit of major industrialized nations, where Iran was high on 
the agenda. Scheduled discussions include a work session focused on "ending 
crises and ensuring stability in the Middle East." Leaders of Egypt, Qatar and 
the United Arab Emirates are to join the talks.

   Trump has clashed with European leaders over not consulting them before 
going to war in Iran. Even so, leaders are expected to strike a measured tone 
as they seek ways to ease the economic fallout from rising oil prices caused by 
the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

   The president told reporters on Tuesday that he's "not happy with the way 
Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah."

   "It just goes on forever," he said of Israel's strategy. "And when that 
happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal. And that's the deal with 
Iran."

   Ahead of their meeting, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United 
Kingdom issued a joint statement congratulating the United States, the Iranian 
government and the mediators on what they called a "diplomatic breakthrough." 
Canada also signed the statement. The leaders said it was vital for detailed 
negotiations to take place and for the deal to be quickly implemented so the 
Strait of Hormuz can be reopened to tanker traffic.