US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting, adding that talks with Iran were progressing quickly despite recent tensions linked to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon.
Trump said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and also held discussions through representatives connected to Hezbollah. According to Trump, both sides agreed to halt attacks, with Israel cancelling a planned military operation in Beirut and Hezbollah agreeing to stop firing.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Israeli troops heading toward Beirut had been turned back following his conversation with Netanyahu. He also claimed that Hezbollah had agreed to end its attacks if Israel did the same.
The comments came as diplomatic efforts involving Iran appeared uncertain. Earlier, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had suspended discussions with mediators in response to Israel’s expanding offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah, a key Iranian ally.
Shortly after announcing the reported agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, Trump said negotiations with Iran were continuing at a rapid pace.
However, Netanyahu later appeared to challenge the idea of a ceasefire. In a statement released by his office, he said Israel would strike targets in Beirut if Hezbollah continued attacking Israeli communities.
Netanyahu said he had informed Trump that Israel would respond forcefully if attacks from Hezbollah did not stop.
Trump later repeated his claim that Netanyahu had pulled back troops from a planned operation in Beirut. He again stated that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop shooting at each other and expressed hope that the arrangement would last indefinitely.
Earlier in the day, Trump gave mixed messages about the future of talks with Iran. In an interview with CNBC, he said he would not be concerned if the negotiations collapsed and described the discussions as increasingly uninteresting.
Trump also told NBC News that he had not been briefed on Iran’s reported decision to suspend talks. He suggested that less public discussion might help the diplomatic process, saying silence could be beneficial for a long period.
The latest developments highlight ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East, where efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue alongside sensitive negotiations involving Iran.