Regional affairs specialist Dr. Mehdi Aqeel considered that the Lebanese item constitutes the main obstacle to the success of the ongoing negotiations in Switzerland, despite the importance of other files on the table between the United States and Iran.
In an interview on the “The Highlight” program on Red TV, Aqeel explained that the peculiarity of the Lebanese file lies in the fact that Israel is the party directly concerned with implementing this clause, even though it is not part of the agreement, which allows it a wide margin to evade or obstruct the understandings, especially since it did not show enthusiasm for the agreement from the beginning and considers that it does not meet its political and security ambitions.
He pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure and criticism inside Israel, in addition to calls from political and security forces pushing for non-compliance with the understandings and continuing military operations.
Aqeel believed that many of the provisions contained in the agreement are still shrouded in a degree of ambiguity, and are subject to multiple interpretations that will become clear during the 60-day negotiation period, suggesting that most of the provisions will be closer to meeting Iranian demands.
He explained that Washington’s approval of a number of demands put forward by Tehran is due to a broader American approach to the region, which is not based only on Israeli calculations, but also takes into account the network of regional and international interests and alliances that the United States seeks to manage.
Regarding the upcoming Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, Aqeel indicated that the June 23 round may lead to preliminary understandings related to what are known as “experimental areas,” through an Israeli withdrawal from some points in the south as a test step that paves the way for later stages of the negotiation.
