Trump Says Israel and Hezbollah Agreed to Cease Hostilities, Iran Talks Continue

Donald Trump. Photo: Alex Brandon / AP

US President Donald Trump announced that he had held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of "Hezbollah," persuading both sides of the need for de-escalation. According to Trump, the Israeli prime minister agreed not to send troops into southern Beirut, and the Lebanese group promised to stop its attacks, the BBC reports.

«I had a very productive conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu: troops will not go into Beirut, and those that were already on their way have been turned around. Additionally, through high-ranking representatives, I had a very constructive conversation with "Hezbollah," and they agreed that all hostilities will cease — Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel," he wrote on his Truth Social network.

Soon after, the Lebanese embassy in the US reported that "Hezbollah" had accepted the US proposal for a "mutual cessation of attacks" after Israel, on the eve of the fourth round of Israeli-Lebanese negotiations, threatened to launch new strikes on southern Beirut.

«Lebanese authorities received confirmation that "Hezbollah" accepted the US proposal for a mutual cessation of attacks," stated the embassy in a declaration published by the office of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

It stated that the confirmation came after a phone call between Aoun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he had informed US President Donald Trump that Israel would strike Beirut if "Hezbollah" did not cease its attacks.

«In the evening, I spoke with President Trump and told him that if "Hezbollah" does not stop attacking our cities and our citizens, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut," Netanyahu's office quoted him as saying.

«Our position on this matter remains unchanged," the prime minister added.

"Just Keep Quiet"

In another post on Monday evening, Donald Trump stated that negotiations with Iran were continuing intensively.

Earlier on Monday, the Iranian semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that Tehran's negotiating team was suspending all contacts with the US through intermediaries due to attacks on Lebanon.

«Given the ongoing attacks by the Israeli regime in Lebanon, and the fact that Lebanon was one of the preconditions for the ceasefire — which is currently violated in all directions, including Lebanon — the Iranian negotiating delegation is suspending negotiations and the exchange of messages through intermediaries," the report stated.

Commenting on these reports, Trump told NBC News that Iran had not informed Washington of its decision.

«This is a perfectly appropriate statement, as they negotiate better than they fight," he said in a brief comment. "But they did not inform us of this."

«Honestly, I think we have talked too much. I think it would be very good to just keep quiet," the American leader added.

According to him, this all does not mean that the US "is going to start bombing them": "We will maintain the [naval] blockade."

«The ceasefire between Iran and the US undoubtedly extends to all fronts, including Lebanon. A violation of the ceasefire on one front constitutes a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote earlier on social network X.

The Tasnim agency's report claimed that Iran, along with its allies in the region, had developed a plan for a complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as "intensifying actions on other fronts," including in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran also announced the possibility of opening "new fronts" on Monday evening.

Threat of New Strikes on Lebanon

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, amidst an escalating conflict with the Iranian-backed armed group "Hezbollah."

Netanyahu stated that "terrorist targets" in Dahieh — Hezbollah strongholds — would be struck in response to missile and drone attacks on Israeli civilians, as well as other violations of the ceasefire announced in April, which has yet to end hostilities.

In a joint statement published on Monday morning, the Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that they had ordered strikes on Dahieh «due to repeated and prolonged violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the terrorist organization "Hezbollah" and its attacks on our civilians and cities.»

«Dahieh in Beirut is no different from the settlements in northern Israel — if there is no peace in the north, there will be none in Beirut either," Katz warned.

Soon after, traffic jams formed on roads leading from the suburbs, as many residents tried to flee to safety.

The Israeli military also issued an evacuation order for residents of Beirut's southern suburbs and warned that they would strike targets in the area if "Hezbollah" continued to shell Israeli territory with rockets.

Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on April 16, the Israeli military has struck Beirut twice, most recently last Thursday.

At the same time, reports indicated that the White House was pressuring Israel to limit military actions in Beirut so as not to jeopardize efforts to conclude a broader agreement to end the war between the US, Israel, and Iran.

According to a US official, on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio proposed a plan for "gradual de-escalation" to Netanyahu and the President of Lebanon.

A high-ranking Lebanese government official told the BBC that Lebanon was relying on US mediation efforts to compel Israel to limit military actions and prevent new civilian casualties in Lebanon.

«We are doing everything in our power to end the killing of people," the official stated, discussing daily ceasefire violations by Israel and the difficulty of influencing the situation on the ground.

He also reported that negotiations between Lebanon and Israel would still take place in Washington this week.

«We have no other choice," he stated. "We must go to the negotiations and declare that we want a ceasefire."

Lebanon became embroiled in the war on March 2, when "Hezbollah" launched a missile strike on Israel in response to an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel retaliated with an air operation across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the country's south.

According to Lebanon's Ministry of Health, at least 3,412 people have died in the country since the beginning of the war. These figures include both military personnel and civilians.

Israel states that during the same period, 24 of its soldiers and four Israeli civilians have died on both sides of the border.

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