According to an Axios report, Israel is growing increasingly worried that the Trump administration’s diplomatic overtures to Iran could end up boosting Tehran’s foothold in Lebanon while constraining Israel’s ability to take action against Hezbollah. At the heart of these concerns are a memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran last week, along with fresh agreements from negotiations in Switzerland aimed at de-escalating tensions across the Middle East.

Israeli officials fear that these new arrangements could undercut years of coordinated U.S.-Israeli efforts to weaken Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group that has posed a persistent threat to Israel’s northern border. A key flashpoint is a new U.S.-Iran-backed “deconfliction mechanism” involving Lebanon and international mediators. Israeli officials are said to be worried that this setup grants Iran a formal seat at the table in discussions about Lebanon while simultaneously narrowing Israel’s operational flexibility.

The diplomatic push follows a ceasefire that ended the recent conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States. Under the new understandings, the U.S., Iran, and their allies have committed to halting hostilities, including in Lebanon. The agreement also stresses Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity—issues complicated by Israel’s ongoing military presence in parts of southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials argue that this new framework is a significant departure from a 2024 ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration, under which Israel retained broader authority to act against both imminent and emerging Hezbollah threats. Under the current structure, they fear that freedom of action could be curtailed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly made the Lebanon issue a top priority in his discussions with Washington. According to Axios, Netanyahu has tasked close confidant Ron Dermer with conveying Israeli concerns directly to senior members of President Donald Trump’s team.

Some Republican allies of Israel have also voiced alarm. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned that excluding Israel from the new deconfliction mechanism could prove problematic. “The deconfliction mechanism in Lebanon envisioned by the Trump administration doesn’t include Israel and, in my view, is a major misstep,” Graham told Axios.

The Trump administration, however, maintains that Israel’s concerns are overblown. A senior U.S. official told Axios that because Washington remains closely coordinated with Jerusalem, Israel is effectively still part of the process. Administration officials also argue that the arrangement could help reduce violence and create conditions for future negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading efforts to advance direct talks between the two countries, including discussions about a gradual Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon in exchange for stronger deployments of the Lebanese Army.

Despite the diplomatic momentum, analysts and regional officials caution that any lasting agreement—particularly one that leads to Hezbollah’s disarmament—remains a distant prospect.