Trump Claims Ceasefire Amidst Tense Netanyahu Call and Escalating Middle East Tensions
In a dramatic turn of events, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel had halted planned attacks on Beirut, a move that had threatened to unravel a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. This development followed a reportedly heated conversation between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sources indicate the call between the two leaders was far from cordial, with US news outlet Axios reporting that Trump expressed significant frustration with Netanyahu in an expletive-laden discussion.
The core of Trump’s ire appeared to stem from Israel’s intentions to target the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Two US officials speaking to Axios described the President as calling Netanyahu “crazy” and ungrateful. One official summarised Trump’s sentiments as: “You’re f—ing crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.” Another official relayed that Trump had at one point yelled, “What the f— are you doing?” at the Israeli Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Netanyahu had stated on Monday that he had informed Trump that Israel would proceed with attacks on “terror” targets in Beirut if Hezbollah did not cease its own attacks on Israeli cities. He further elaborated, “At the same time, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon,” referring to the Israeli Defence Forces.
Adding to the complex situation, President Trump also asserted that Hezbollah had agreed to a complete ceasefire. He insisted that talks with Iran were progressing “at a rapid pace,” despite reports from Iranian state-affiliated media suggesting Tehran was suspending negotiations due to a recent surge in violence.
The fluctuating prospects for a meaningful resolution to the three-month-old conflict and the potential reopening of the critical Strait of Hormuz had caused oil prices to climb, nearing $US100 a barrel. However, Trump’s pronouncements appeared to temper these prices in subsequent trading.
Earlier, Israel had issued evacuation warnings to residents of Dahiyeh, a known stronghold of Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Prime Minister Netanyahu had announced that he and Defence Minister Israel Katz had directed Israeli forces to initiate strikes against “terrorist targets” in the area.
Escalation and Diplomatic Maneuvering
According to Netanyahu’s statement on X, these actions were a direct response to “repeated and ongoing violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the terrorist organisation Hezbollah and the attacks against our cities and citizens.”
Despite the declared ceasefire, Israel had also engaged in a ground invasion, with troops making their deepest incursion into southern Lebanon in over a quarter of a century.
President Trump, who had previously indicated to news outlets that he would contact Netanyahu to ascertain the situation in Lebanon, took to social media to suggest that the planned attack in Beirut would be averted. His posts, however, referred to troops rather than airstrikes.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way have already been turned back,” Trump stated, using Netanyahu’s familiar nickname. He further added, “Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop – That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
The specifics of this alleged agreement remained unclear at the time. Netanyahu’s prior warnings had focused on strikes against Hezbollah targets in the area, not a ground invasion of southern Beirut.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament had communicated to the Trump administration that Hezbollah was prepared for a full ceasefire with Israel.
In a separate social media post, Trump conveyed a sense of ongoing diplomatic engagement: “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Conflicting Signals on Iran Negotiations
However, President Trump presented a starkly different message in brief phone interviews with several US media outlets. He commented that talks with Iran were becoming “very boring” and suggested that a period away from the negotiating table might be beneficial.
In a conversation with NBC News, Trump indicated that the potential collapse of peace talks would not necessarily lead to renewed US military action. “If they don’t want to talk, that’s OK with me,” he reportedly said. “I think it’s fine. I don’t particularly want to talk either. We talk too much.”
These contradictory developments emerged just days after Trump had publicly announced he was finalising a memorandum of understanding intended to end the war and initiate a 60-day period of negotiations concerning Iran’s nuclear program. However, following a national security meeting on Friday, he sought revisions to key aspects of the agreement, reiterating his commitment to avoiding a detrimental deal with Iran.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, which has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had earlier reported that Iran was suspending negotiations due to the increase in US and Israeli strikes during the ceasefire period. Iran’s Foreign Ministry, while not explicitly echoing this, stated that it viewed any ceasefire violation, including those in Lebanon, as a breach on all fronts and warned that the US and Israel would be held responsible for the repercussions.
Adding another layer of tension, the US Central Command, responsible for American military operations in the Middle East, confirmed the successful interception of two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces stationed in Kuwait on Monday. This incident followed defensive strikes against Iranian radar and drone command and control sites over the weekend, which Centcom stated were in retaliation for Iran shooting down an American drone.
Internal US Criticism and Hardline Stances
Within the US, there is reportedly growing discontent among some of Trump’s allies and confidantes regarding his handling of the situation and the administration’s perceived inability to secure a more favourable deal with Iran.
Laura Loomer, a prominent MAGA internet activist with a substantial following and reportedly close to the President, expressed concerns that by continuing to offer Iran further opportunities, Trump risked undermining his image of strength. She wrote on X, “It’s time to kill every single IRGC member and end all negotiating. The only negotiation left with these Islamic terrorists should be whether they want to be shot to death in the head or die in a drone strike. Enough. Let’s get this over with.”
