Washington, June 2 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off a planned military operation in Beirut after a direct appeal from him, and claimed Hezbollah had also agreed to stop attacks on Israel.
The assertions came in a pair of social media posts as fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group threatened to further destabilise the region and complicate US diplomacy with Iran.
“I had a conversation with Bibi Netanyahu today, asking him not to go into a major raid of Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In an earlier post, Trump said there would be “no Troops going to Beirut” and that any Israeli forces heading there “have already been turned back.”
Trump also said he had communicated, through intermediaries, with Hezbollah representatives.
“I also had a conversation with Representatives of the Leaders of Hezbollah, and they agreed to stop shooting at Israel, and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them,” he wrote.
“Let’s see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!”
The statements followed a day of heightened tensions over Lebanon, where fears of renewed large-scale fighting between Israel and Hezbollah raised concerns about a broader regional escalation.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had been pressing to end the Israel-Hezbollah confrontation, viewing it as an obstacle to ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Iran. The newspaper said Trump spoke directly with Netanyahu and sought to prevent the conflict from expanding.
The New York Times reported that Netanyahu later struck a more cautious tone, saying Israel would continue military operations in southern Lebanon and warning that attacks would resume if Hezbollah targeted Israeli cities and civilians.
The newspaper also reported that Lebanese officials had received confirmation of a US-backed proposal under which Hezbollah would halt attacks and Israel would refrain from expanding military operations around Beirut.
Fox News reported that Trump had persuaded Netanyahu to cancel a Beirut strike and that Israeli forces had been “turned around” after the conversation.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that Iranian officials were expressing growing frustration with negotiations involving Washington following Israeli military actions in Lebanon and recent US strikes in the region.
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah immediately confirmed Trump’s description of the reported understanding. It was also unclear whether any formal ceasefire arrangement had been reached.
The developments came amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to prevent a wider Middle East conflict while pursuing negotiations with Iran over regional security issues and Tehran’s nuclear programme.
–IANS
lkj/rs
