00:00Okay, one thing Iran wants, at least they say they do,
00:03is for Lebanon to be included in an eventual peace deal.
00:08I was wondering whether you think that's something that looks likely.
00:10No. Thankfully, the Iranians can go pound sand on that idea.
00:13And the fact is that everybody is saying that.
00:16Literally everybody.
00:17The United States that are leading these talks,
00:20the Lebanese themselves are telling the Iranians,
00:23we don't want you involved in this deal.
00:24We don't want to be part of your deal.
00:27Keep them separate.
00:28And I can tell you that you've had three rounds of talks so far.
00:32And it has been a very deliberate effort to keep Lebanon on a separate track
00:37from what's happening in Islamabad on the Iran talks.
00:41At the same time, I would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge
00:45that the Lebanon-Israel peace talks are happening in the context of what goes on with Iran.
00:50So, of course, whatever deal comes through on Iran can have an effect,
00:55potentially, on the Lebanon-Israel peace talks.
00:57For example, if Iran finds itself with sanctions relief or some kind of newfound money,
01:03then that would be detrimental because, without a doubt, they would send some of it to Hezbollah.
01:09They've made it very clear that they think Hezbollah is an important part of their network.
01:13Or it would at least embolden Hezbollah psychologically.
01:17And that's the last thing we need in the Lebanon-Israel peace talks,
01:19when you have Lebanon's leaders really trying to exert sovereignty here
01:24and repeatedly trying to say publicly that they don't want to be under the thumb of the Iranian regime
01:29and that they now view Hezbollah as this foreign proxy in their land.
01:32So, you know, it's tenuous, it's difficult, but so far they've remained on separate tracks.
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