Trump reins in Netanyahu over Lebanon after Iran threatens to quit talks

President Trump on Monday pulled the brakes on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to bomb Hezbollah targets in Beirut after Iran threatened to abandon its negotiations with the U.S. over Israel’s actions in Lebanon.

• An Israeli official told Axios the planned strikes on Beirut would not be happening.

Why it matters: Trump’s decision to rein in Netanyahu was a clear signal that he doesn’t want his key ally to get in the way of a deal with Iran.

• Trump claimed on Monday after his call with Netanyahu that the Iran negotiations “are continuing, at a rapid pace.”

Driving the news: On Monday, Netanyahu issued a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz threatening to bomb Hezbollah targets in the Dahieh District of Beirut “following repeated violations of the ceasefire” by the Iran-backed militia.

• In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued his own warning on X that Israel’s actions in Lebanon were a violation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, and the U.S. and Israel would bear “the consequences of any violation.”
• Iranian officials told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that no talks with the U.S. would take place until Israel stopped its attacks in Lebanon, and threatened retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz and possibly “other fronts.”
• Hours later, Trump spoke with Netanyahu. He released a Truth Social post afterwards claiming Israel and Hezbollah would stop attacking each other.

The latest: The Lebanese embassy in Washington later announced that Hezbollah accepted a U.S. proposal for a “mutual cessation of attacks,” and that Trump had told the Lebanese ambassador he’d secured Netanyahu’s agreement.

• The deal, which was proposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would involve Israel suspending its planned attacks on Beirut in exchange for Hezbollah halting its attacks on Israel.
• Neither Israel nor Hezbollah have confirmed acceptance of such an offer. Previous announcements by the Trump administration of ceasefires in Lebanon have existed mainly on paper, rather than in reality.
• Netanyahu said in a statement that he had told Trump that Israel would attack targets in Beirut if Hezbollah does not stop attacking Israel, and that in the meantime Israel would continue its operations in southern Lebanon.

Between the lines: The U.S. has urged Israel against striking Beirut for several weeks as part of a broader deescalation push, but a U.S. official hinted on Sunday that position could soften.

• “The U.S. does not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians by a terrorist organization,” the official told Axios.
• Israel appeared poised on Monday to proceed with massive strikes. The Israeli military issued a statement in Arabic urging “all residents of the Dahieh District in Beirut to relocate for their safety.”
• Israel has also been expanding its ground operation in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah continues to fire drones and missiles into Israel.

Zoom in: Around noon on Monday, Trump held a long phone call with Netanyahu to discuss the escalating crisis in Lebanon and the talks with Iran.

• Before the call, a senior U.S. official told Axios that Trump felt Netanyahu’s threats to strike Beirut were going too far.
• “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 wrote afterwards.
• Israel didn’t intend to send troops to Beirut, but rather to conduct massive airstrikes that could have knocked down buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut where some of Hezbollah’s headquarters are located.

The intrigue: Trump also claimed he’d had a “very good call” with “highly placed representatives” of Hezbollah who agreed “that all shooting will stop – That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”

• It is not clear which representatives he was referring to.
• The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, told the Trump administration on Sunday that Hezbollah was ready for a full and immediate ceasefire with Israel and pledged to guarantee its implementation, Berri’s top adviser Ali Hamdan told Axios.
• U.S. officials didn’t believe Netanyahu would accept a full ceasefire, and had made an unsuccessful push for a partial truce.

What’s next: Talks between Israeli and Lebanese diplomats planned for Tuesday in Washington will take place as planned, according to a U.S. official.

This is a developing story and has been updated with comments from Lebanese and Israeli officials.

المصدر: Axios