Trump urges Netanyahu to be ‘more accountable’ to Lebanon, suggests Syria can handle Hezbollah | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (June 16th) for Israel’s military strikes in Lebanon, saying the Israeli leader must be “more responsible” as efforts to secure a broader regional peace deal have progressed.
On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France, Trump said Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah had gone on too long and resulted in excessive civilian casualties.
“Israel has been fighting Hezbollah for too long. And they’re killing too many people. And you don’t have to tear down an apartment building every time you’re looking for someone, because there are a lot of people in those apartment buildings and they’re not all Hezbollah,” Trump said.
He suggests that Syria handle Hezbollah
Trump also suggested that Syria should play a bigger role in dealing with Hezbollah, arguing that Damascus could address militant activities without causing widespread destruction.
Trump said: “If Israel can’t do the job without killing everybody, he will do it. Syria will do it.”
The remarks marked one of Trump’s strongest public criticisms of Israel’s military operations in Lebanon since the start of the latest regional conflict.
“I didn’t like that he attacked”
Asked if he was frustrated with Netanyahu, Trump denied any major rift between the two leaders, but acknowledged his displeasure with the recent Israeli operation.
“No. We had a great relationship. We’re talking about some final details. I didn’t like that he did the attack; you know, there was a very small little thing with some of the drones that were launched and he ended up doing a very… I saw the attack. I saw where the bomb went,” Trump said.
Still, Trump reiterated Washington’s support for Israel and emphasized his administration’s longstanding support for the country.
“Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did,” he said.
“But now Bibi must be more responsible towards Lebanon.
The Beirut strike raised fears of an Iran deal
Trump’s comments came after Israeli strikes hit Beirut on Sunday, just hours before the United States and Iran were expected to finalize a peace deal aimed at ending months of conflict in West Asia.
After the attacks, Trump warned on Truth Social that the attacks “shouldn’t have happened” and suggested they risked undermining a diplomatic breakthrough with Tehran.
Trump had previously announced that the Iran deal was “done” and would be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday.
“This Grand Deal will bring peace and security to the entire region,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“With the opening of the strait following the signing of the agreement on Friday, to remove the mines, oil will once again flow at both ends for the region and the world.”
Israel signals reservations
Despite Trump’s optimism, senior Israeli officials have signaled opposition to aspects of the emerging deal.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir emphasized that Israel will not be bound by any US-Iranian agreement.
“The Trump deal does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States and we are an independent and sovereign nation,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.
The statement underscored growing questions about whether the deal can stand if key regional players disagree on its implementation.
Lebanon is emerging as a major sticking point
Iran has repeatedly insisted that Lebanon must be included in any lasting solution.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israeli forces would have to withdraw from southern Lebanon for the conflict to be considered fully resolved.
“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war is not completely over,” Araghchi said.
Israel has already rejected such demands, raising concerns that disagreements over Lebanon could jeopardize the broader agreement and potentially spark renewed hostilities.
What the proposed agreement contains
Although the text of the US-Iran deal has not been made public, the framework reportedly provides for a 60-day negotiation period focused on Iran’s nuclear program and possible sanctions relief. The deal would reportedly begin with the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of restrictions on Iranian ports.
Officials involved in the talks also reportedly discussed the potential release of frozen Iranian assets and the creation of a multibillion-dollar fund for Iran’s reconstruction.
Iran has reportedly agreed to discuss options to “dilute or eliminate” its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, although significant disagreements remain over verification mechanisms and implementation.
World leaders support diplomatic breakthrough
Despite the outstanding issues, leaders attending the G7 summit expressed support for the deal.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France and its allies are ready to help in efforts to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
France, Germany, Italy and the UK welcomed what they described as a “diplomatic breakthrough” and urged all parties to implement the deal quickly.
