The Israeli government is scrambling to devise countermeasures amid concerns that the ceasefire agreement brokered by U.S. President Trump could legitimize Iranian influence within Lebanon.

According to a report by the U.S. online media outlet Axios, Israeli officials have expressed significant concern regarding the details of the agreement recently reached between the United States and Iran.

Following the memorandum of understanding on ending hostilities signed on June 17, the U.S. and Iran agreed on June 21 to establish a new mechanism to prevent further conflict.

However, it is reported that Israel, which has been conducting ongoing airstrikes against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, has been excluded from this body, which includes only the U.S., Iran, and Lebanon.

This marks a reduction in Israel's standing compared to the Lebanon ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024.

Under the previous agreement, Israel was guaranteed the operational right to respond to all threats from Hezbollah and participated in the monitoring body. In contrast, it is reported that under the new arrangement, Israel's operational freedom has been restricted to cases of "imminent threats," and it has been excluded from the participating countries in the monitoring mechanism.

Conversely, Iran has been newly added to the monitoring body.

In terms of content, unlike the previous agreement which explicitly called for the withdrawal and disarmament of Hezbollah, the new deal is reportedly focused solely on preventing clashes between the two sides.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces a general election this coming October, reportedly views this agreement as a more serious issue than nuclear negotiations and has been working through his inner circle to activate contacts within the Trump administration for behind-the-scenes persuasion.

Some analysts suggest that President Trump's recent social media message to Iran—warning that "if Iran does not control Hezbollah, Iran will be hit hard once again"—is a result of these requests from the Israeli side.

In fact, a White House source reportedly referred to the Prime Minister by his nickname, stating, "Bibi is reacting hysterically to this issue."

In response, a senior U.S. government official reportedly explained, "Since the U.S. is a participating member, Israel is not being sidelined, and this will ultimately be in the interest of Israel's security."

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Lee Ui-seon | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News