ranAmid the simmering Middle East tensions, a tattered Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and uncertainty over Iran-US truce, President Donald Trump heaped praises on Israel and called it ‘a great ally’ of the US.
He used words like ‘courageous, bold and smart’ for Israel and took the opportunity to take a swipe at NATO countries, saying, “They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart and, unlike others that have shown their true colors in a moment of conflict and stress, Israel fights hard, and knows how to WIN.”
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This big praise comes amid reports that Trump ‘shocked’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers with his social media post about the US ‘prohibiting’ Israel from launching strikes on Lebanon.
Israel asked the White House for clarifications about Trump’s post, Axios reported. Netanyahu was reportedly stunned as Trump’s post ‘contradicted’ the text of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon that the State Department published on Thursday.
Netanyahu was personally stunned and alarmed when he learned of the post, Axios reported, citing sources.
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Hormuz stalemate and regional tensions
The social media bonhomie by Trump comes at a time when West Asia is fraught with complexities, particularly concerning negotiations over ceasefire protocols and the security of maritime operations within the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, briefly reopening the strait, shut it again on Saturday citing US naval blockade. “We warn that no ship, of any kind, should leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted,” the navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on its official Sepah News website.
Trump warned Iran not to “blackmail” Washington with the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran declared the strategic waterway once again closed.
“We’re talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again — you know, as they’ve been doing for years — and they can’t blackmail us,” Trump said at a White House event.
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire in tatters
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon remains in tatters as Israeli army has confirmed carrying out fresh strikes on what it described as threats south of the new “yellow line” in Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported.
Beirut-based correspondent reported that, along with ongoing artillery shelling and machinegun fire on several villages, Israel launched two air strikes on Sunday, as per a report by Al Jazeera.
