Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [Photo courtesy of the Prime Minister's Office of Israel]

Local media reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was once in a state of panic following the agreement on a new "Lebanon conflict prevention mechanism" reached at high-level talks in Switzerland between the United States and Iran.

Israel's Channel 12 reported, citing a senior Israeli official, that upon the agreement to introduce a mechanism for managing conflicts related to Lebanon during high-level talks between the US and Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed concerns about potential restrictions on the actions of his country's forces stationed in Lebanon or his country's exclusion from the mechanism.

The broadcast stated that Netanyahu, who has insisted on the right to respond to Hezbollah threats and the maintenance of troops in southern Lebanon, subsequently launched a full-scale diplomatic offensive to allay these concerns and protect Israel's interests.

Qatar and Pakistan, the mediators of the ceasefire negotiations, announced in a statement after the talks that "the parties (US and Iran) have agreed to establish a 'de-escalation mechanism' between the parties and Lebanon, with the assistance of the mediators, to ensure compliance with the cessation of military operations in Lebanon as per the MOU."

US lead negotiator, Vice President J.D. Vance, also stated that a new "conflict prevention mechanism" had been established during the talks the previous day.

This new system is reported to be composed of a new consultation body involving the United States, Iran, Lebanon, Qatar, and Pakistan, replacing the existing organization that included Israel, Lebanon, the United States, France, and the United Nations (UN), brokered by the Biden administration in 2024.

However, a senior US official denied rumors that Israel would be excluded from the new mechanism.

He emphasized that considering the close relationship between the US and Israel, a direct channel between the US and Iran would actually benefit Israel.

Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether this official's statement means Israel will have an official role in the new mechanism or if Israel's interests will be indirectly represented through coordination with the US.

Channel 12 added that while the 2024 system aimed to coordinate between Israel and Lebanon on efforts to collect and remove Hezbollah weapons, the new mechanism focuses on preventing direct physical clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah.

The issue of Lebanon is a matter of the utmost sensitivity for Israel in the US-Iran ceasefire negotiations.

Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly decided that other Israeli officials, including Ambassador to the US Yehiel Reiter, could not effectively handle this issue and urgently deployed his closest confidant, former Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, to engage in consultations with the US.

Senior US officials are said to have held multiple calls with Dermer during the Swiss negotiations, sharing key developments, including the Lebanon issue.

Channel 12 also reported that a post by US President Donald Trump on the social media platform Truth Social, warning of military action if Iran failed to restrain Hezbollah, was also a result of Dermer's active intervention.