‘US lacks will’: Iran fumes as new Israeli strikes on Lebanon threatens peace deal prospects

As US and Iran prepare to sign the peace deal, new Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Sunday seem to have cast a cloud of uncertainty over the agreement’s prospects.

The deal, a 14-point memorandum of understanding, is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, according to US President Donald Trump. However, Iran didn’t confirm the signing date as it said the final draft of the MoU was still under review.

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The fresh Israeli strikes on Lebanon have further complicated the situation, with Iran accusing the US of lacking the will to fulfill its commitments.

Iranian Parliament Speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said, “The Zionists’ incursion into Dahiyeh has once again shown that America either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so.”

He further added, “By giving the green light to the regime, you cannot gain concessions. The game of bad cop and good cop is outdated.”

He further hinted the deal expected to be signed on Sunday may not be possible.

“If you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible,” the Iranian official added.

His remarks came after Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday.

This was Israel’s first strike in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh in a week and came in response to a drone strike by the Lebanon-based Iranian proxy.

“The IDF has just struck Hezbollah terror targets in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut, in response to Hezbollah’s firing at Israeli territory,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement.

Notably, Israel has not been included in the negotiations between the US and Iran.