Lapid talks with Macron about Iran, Lebanon on Israeli PM's first foreign trip

Iran and its influence in the Middle East were high on the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Tuesday talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Lapid took over the premiership last Friday following the collapse of Israel's coalition government. The Jewish state will return to the polls in November for its fifth election in less than four years.

The new leader was confronted with his first test a day later, when Lebanon's Hezbollah movement launched three drones towards an offshore gas field in the eastern Mediterranean.

"Israel will not sit back given these repeated attacks," Lapid told reporters in the courtyard of the Elysée Palace.

"Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation threatening Israel," he said, adding that Hezbollah was "trying to attack us with Iranian rockets".

Lebanon rejects Israel's claim that the Karish gas field lies within its territorial waters.

Israel and Lebanon resumed negotiations on their maritime border in 2020, though the Karish site sits outside the disputed area and is marked as Israeli on existing United Nations maps.

The US-backed talks have been stalled by Beirut's demand that the UN maps must be modified.

Make Iran 'see reason'

"We will ask France to intervene to secure the negotiations that we want to lead until the end of the gas issues," an Israeli official told journalists travelling with the premier before his arrival in Paris.

Macron, at the news briefing, said both sides should "avoid any action" that could worsen relations between Israel and Lebanon.

But an Elysée press release added that the Jewish state can "count on France's unwavering attachment to Israel's security and on our determination to remain committed to guaranteeing the stability and security of the entire region."

Lapid reiterated Israel's firm stance against international efforts to revive a nuclear accord with Tehran.

Acknowledging that France disagrees with that view, he said what was beyond dispute was that "Iran is violating the agreement and continues to develop its nuclear programme."

• Recently elected Israel PM visits France hoping to end gas row with Lebanon

Israeli officials fear that easing sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme could allow Tehran to boost funding to Hezbollah, as well as the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Macron, meanwhile, deplored the fact that Iran "refuses to seize the opportunity offered to conclude a good agreement," adding that he would make every effort to persuade Tehran.

Lapid's Paris trip comes days ahead of US President Joe Biden visits to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The US leader will then fly to Saudi Arabia for energy talks.

Washington is seeking to stabilise the global energy market following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which led Moscow to cut its gas supplies to some European countries.

Israel and Egypt signed a deal last month to boost gas exports to the European Union, as the bloc attempts to end its dependency on Russian energy.

"The Lebanon issue is essential and Lapid will come back to the Israeli position, according to which Hezbollah is first and foremost a threat to the future of Lebanon," said an Israeli official, who requested anonymity.

Israel and Lebanon remain technically at war but agreed to talks aimed at delineating their maritime border to allow both countries to boost gas exploration.

(With AFP)