Katz says Iran prevented Hezbollah's 'collapse'
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump linked the Lebanese and Iranian arenas to serve U.S. interests -- following an Iranian demand -- asserting that without this connection, Hezbollah would have "collapsed."
Katz added that this prompted Israel to move to its "Plan B," which involves reinforcing the Yello Line in southern Lebanon, amid the restrictions imposed by the United States on attacking other parts of the country.
Katz also claimed that he reached an agreement with US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper stipulating that "there would be no withdrawal from the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip."
The Israeli minister emphasized that "there would be no further withdrawals after withdrawal from the two pilot zones in south Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed."
He added that "Lebanese Army soldiers will not suddenly transform into lions to attack Hezbollah," affirming that "the Israeli army's presence in southern Lebanon would be long-term."
29 June 2026, 22:41
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I love our President Trump, but a huge mistake was linking the two. Lebanon should have been separate and Hezbullah needs to fall. Watch what happens after the mid-term elections in November, when President Trump doesn't have to worry about Republicans losing that election. He will destroy Iran and the next day, when he is done, Hezbullah will finally fall.
30 June 2026, 00:46
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Trump does what he's told. Iran linked Lebanon to the ceasefire and is enforcing it by attack the "US Gulf" (as Reuters calls the Persian Gulf monarchies). We'll see how much further Israel backs down.
30 June 2026, 01:10
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Naharnet obtained the claim directly from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz during an official press briefing with journalists.
The Primary Source: The statement originates entirely from Katz's own account of a meeting he held with Admiral Brad Cooper.
The Context: According to reports by The Times of Israel and Il Sole 24 Ore, Katz briefed reporters regarding Israel's "Plan B" operations and long-term security strategies. During this presentation, he explicitly stated that when he met with the CENTCOM chief, they mutually agreed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not pull back from the security buffers.
U.S. / CENTCOM Verification: The claim is an official Israeli assertion. Neither US Central Command nor Admiral Cooper has independently issued a statement confirming or detailing this specific verbal agreement.
