Italy ready to back Israel-Lebanon deal, says Tajani

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Saturday that Rome stands ready to provide diplomatic backing for the newly signed Israel-Lebanon agreement and could contribute troops to a future international mission following the expiration of the UNIFIL mandate, speaking to reporters during the MED-9 summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

'Step forward' for stabilization

Tajani described the accord as "certainly a step forward" while cautioning that full stabilization will require time. "It is important that the goal of signing has already been achieved," he said, adding that initial signals from Beirut remain positive following his consultations with Italy's embassy. "Now we need to translate the agreement into practical action," he noted.

Post-UNIFIL mission prospects

The minister stressed that any future international deployment would require a broad multilateral agreement and should not exclude participation by Arab and Gulf states. Italy and France could play "a significant role" in rebuilding Lebanon and strengthening its institutions to guarantee sovereignty, he added, suggesting Rome stands ready to commit troops once the current UN peacekeeping mandate concludes.

Hezbollah's waning influence

Tajani argued the agreement is unlikely to benefit Hezbollah and could ultimately reduce its influence or lead to disarmament. "We need to see whether Iran will favor the agreement or not. That is the issue," he said. "However, the agreement reached in Washington is certainly not a victory for Hezbollah," he added, stressing the group "cannot continue to play a military role outside Lebanese institutional legality" and poses a threat to both peace and Lebanon itself.