US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee looks on during an interview with Reuters in Jerusalem, Sept. 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Tuesday delivered one of the clearest messages yet from the Trump administration about the scope of the US-Iran agreement, declaring that Hezbollah is not part of the deal while emphasizing that the Jewish state retains the right to defend itself against the Iranian-backed terrorist group.

Writing on X, Huckabee said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had made clear that “Iran & Hezbollah aren’t linked in a deal.”

“Israel doesn’t need Iran permission to defend itself,” Huckabee wrote. “The tether of terror must end.”

The comments appear to indicate that any agreement reached with Tehran would not limit Israel’s ability to conduct military operations against Hezbollah, despite Iranian and Hezbollah claims that Lebanon should be addressed as part of a broader regional settlement.

Both Iran and Hezbollah, which operates as Tehran’s chief proxy force and wields significant influence across Lebanon, openly seek Israel’s destruction.

Huckabee’s remarks are likely to be welcomed by Israeli officials, who have been closely watching negotiations between Washington and Tehran amid concerns that a broader diplomatic agreement could affect Israel’s freedom to operate against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

While details of the agreement remain closely guarded, officials familiar with negotiations say the framework is primarily focused on reducing the risk of direct conflict between Washington and Tehran, addressing maritime security concerns, and establishing mechanisms intended to prevent further regional escalation.

According to both Tehran and Washington, the deal, championed by US President Donald Trump, will reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, lift the US blockade of Iranian ports, and create a framework for future negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. The agreement will also reportedly include sanctions relief for Iran, although the timeframe for unfreezing Iranian funds remains unclear.

US officials have increasingly emphasized that Israel’s confrontation with Hezbollah remains a separate issue from the conflict with Iran.

Iranian officials, however, have suggested that any lasting agreement must include Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah officials have expressed confidence that Tehran would seek concessions related to Lebanon during negotiations.

According to analysts, the purpose of the Iranian position is to limit Israel’s ability to take military action in self-defense.

Israeli officials have repeatedly argued that any agreement with Iran must not restrict Israel’s ability to respond to attacks or emerging threats.

Huckabee appeared to address those concerns directly, signaling that Washington does not believe Israel requires Iranian approval to act against Hezbollah.

The competing interpretations of the US-Iran deal have raised questions about whether all parties involved share the same understanding of what the agreement ultimately entails.

Multiple media outlets have reported what they say are leaked versions of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, noting the document calls for a cessation of all hostilities in Lebanon — language which would seemingly prohibit Israel’s campaign against the Hezbollah terrorist group.

Israel has said it will not be a party to the agreement.

Trump also issued striking criticisms of Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon on Tuesday, saying at the G7 summit in France that Israel is “fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed.”

“If Israel can’t do the job without killing everyone else, he’ll do the job. Syria will do the job,” Trump continued.

“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah,” he added, seemingly ignoring Hezbollah’s widely documented strategy of using civilian sites to house its weapons and operations centers.