Trump claims he can “solve problems really quickly” in Lebanon, but Israel’s ground offensive suggests otherwise | Today’s news
As Israel and Hezbollah hold a shaky truce and the stalemate in Lebanon continues, US President Donald Trump said on Monday (local time) that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would “resolve issues really quickly”.
His remarks came after Netanyahu refused to remove Israeli forces from south Lebanon, despite ongoing peace talks between the US and Iran, ANI reported. Asked how he would ensure Netanyahu did not jeopardize the talks after the two sides signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU), Trump declined to give details of his plan but described himself as a “problem solver.”
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Speaking to reporters, the US president said: “I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to do, but it’s going to be solved. I’m a problem solver. I’m going to solve problems really quickly, including Bibi.”
Trump repeats claims of preventing strikes in Lebanon
Trump’s latest remarks are not the first time he has claimed that Israel listens to what he says and that he can resolve the Lebanon issue. In an interview with Axios last week, the Republican president claimed that he would be able to stop Israel from attacking Lebanon and carrying out further strikes, and claimed that the leadership in Tel Aviv was acting on his instructions out of mutual respect.
Asked if he could limit Israeli military action in the Middle East, particularly strikes on Beirut, he said he would be able to exercise control over such decisions. He added: “Yes, I will. I mean, they have a lot of respect for me and they do what I say.”
During the interview, Trump mentioned Netanyahu and said the two maintain a strong but closely watched relationship. Commenting on their relationship, he said: “It’s good, but we have to keep him a little sane.”
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Is Israel really meeting Trump’s demands?
While Trump has argued that he can influence Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, Israel’s actions since ending hostilities with Iran have raised questions about the extent of that influence.
Netanyahu reiterated on Monday that Tel Aviv forces would remain in Lebanon. In a speech at the Jerusalem News Syndicate International Policy Summit in 2026, he ignored the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting Israel and its citizens. He further stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would remain in a security zone in southern Lebanon, despite a quadrilateral meeting in Switzerland that agreed to create a “de-confliction zone” to halt hostilities in Lebanon.
He said: “No matter what happens in the talks, with a deal, without a deal, I promise you that Iran, as long as I’m prime minister, will never have a nuclear weapon. Never. As long as I’m prime minister of Israel, I won’t let that happen. As long as we have to protect our people, we’ll stay in the security zone in southern Lebanon. Otherwise, no country would be asked to do that.”
The ties between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
The opposing positions of the two leaders appear to further strain their ties. Once considered close allies and friends, the frequent friendly phone calls are reportedly no longer friendly, The Wall Street Journal reported last week.
Reports say the US president has shouted down his once-closest ally on several occasions since the US and Israel went to war against Iran. Last week, Trump even claimed: “There would be no Israel without the US. There would be no Israel without me because no other president was willing to do what I did. I had a great relationship with Bibi. Now Bibi has to be more responsible towards Lebanon.”
Read also | Netanyahu faces a backlash at home after Trump cut him out of talks with Iran
Whether the American president can really influence Israel’s decisions remains an open question. So far, however, Israel’s actions in Lebanon seem to indicate that Netanyahu is willing to pursue his own strategic priorities, even if they are not fully aligned with Washington’s preferences.
