President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that the agreement between Washington and Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remains viable even if Israel continues its military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Speaking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, Trump dismissed concerns that the escalating violence could derail the diplomatic breakthrough.
“It can,” Trump replied when asked whether the Iran deal could survive Israeli attacks on Lebanon. He referred to the ongoing fighting as “the minor war,” contrasting it with what he called the larger challenge posed by Iran. “Iran’s a big one, but we have that little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head. And that’s Hezbollah,” he said.
The president also took aim at Israel’s military tactics, criticizing the scale of its airstrikes. “Israel is fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed. And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you,” he said.
Trump’s remarks come amid rising tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the timing and scope of Israeli operations. On Sunday, as Trump announced the Iran deal would be signed, Israel conducted an airstrike in a Beirut suburb. The Israeli military said it was responding to Hezbollah firing three projectiles into northern Israel.
“I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no f‑‑‑ing judgment. I let him know that,” Trump told Axios about his conversation with Netanyahu after the flare-up.
Netanyahu has insisted on continuing to target Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon despite the US-Iran talks. On Monday, he declared that Israel would keep troops in Lebanon, saying “the struggle has not ended.” He added, “I want to make clear: We will remain in the security zones as long as required in order to defend our country.”
Trump vented his frustrations further on Tuesday, suggesting that Israel’s existence depends on US support. “Without the US, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did. I have had a great relationship with Bibi. Now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” he said.
The president’s comments underscore a broader rift between the two allies as the US pursues a deal with Iran while Israel remains focused on neutralizing Hezbollah. For more context on the deal, see Trump’s G7 remarks on Iran progress and his push for Netanyahu to show restraint. Meanwhile, confusion over the deal’s financial terms has also emerged, as reported in Trump’s denial of a $300 billion Iran reconstruction fund.
