US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (June 16) criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s military strikes in Lebanon, saying the Israeli leader needed to be “more responsible” as efforts to secure a broader regional peace agreement moved forward.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, Trump said Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah had gone on for too long and resulted in excessive civilian casualties.
“Israel’s 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,” Trump said.
Suggests Syria can handle Hezbollah
Trump also suggested that Syria should play a larger role in dealing with Hezbollah, arguing that Damascus could address militant activity without causing widespread destruction.
Trump said: “If Israel can’t do the job without killing everyone, he’ll do the job. Syria will do the job.”
The remarks marked one of Trump’s strongest public criticisms of Israeli military operations in Lebanon since the latest regional conflict began.
‘I didn’t like that he did an attack’
Asked whether he was frustrated with Netanyahu, Trump denied any major rift between the two leaders but acknowledged dissatisfaction with a recent Israeli operation.
“No. We had a great relationship. We’re talking about some end details. I didn’t like that he did an attack; you know, there was a very minor little thing with some drones that were released and he ended up doing a very… I saw that attack. I saw where that bomb went,” Trump said.
Trump nevertheless reiterated Washington’s support for Israel and highlighted his administration’s longstanding backing of the country.
“Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did,” he said.
“But now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.”
Beirut strikes spark concern ahead of Iran deal
Trump’s comments came after Israeli strikes targeted Beirut on Sunday, only hours before the United States and Iran were expected to finalise a peace agreement aimed at ending months of conflict across West Asia.
Following the strikes, Trump warned on Truth Social that the attacks “should not have happened” and suggested they risked undermining the diplomatic breakthrough with Tehran.
Earlier, Trump had announced that a deal with Iran was “complete” and would formally be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
“This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World.”
Israel signals reservations
Despite Trump’s optimism, senior Israeli officials have signalled resistance to aspects of the emerging agreement.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stressed that Israel would not be bound by any US-Iran arrangement.
“Trump’s agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.
The statement underscored growing questions over whether the agreement can hold if key regional players disagree on its implementation.
Lebanon emerges as major sticking point
Iran has repeatedly insisted that Lebanon must be included in any lasting settlement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israeli forces would need to withdraw from southern Lebanon for the conflict to be considered fully resolved.
“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” Araghchi said.
Israel has already rejected such demands, raising concerns that disagreements over Lebanon could jeopardise the broader agreement and potentially trigger renewed hostilities.
What the proposed agreement includes
Although the text of the US-Iran agreement has not been released publicly, the framework reportedly envisions a 60-day negotiating period focused on Iran’s nuclear programme and possible sanctions relief. The deal reportedly would begin with the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of restrictions affecting Iranian ports.
Officials involved in the talks have also reportedly discussed the potential release of frozen Iranian assets and the creation of a multibillion-dollar reconstruction fund for Iran.
Iran has reportedly agreed to discuss options to “dilute or remove” its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, though significant disagreements remain over verification mechanisms and implementation.
World leaders back diplomatic breakthrough
Despite unresolved issues, leaders attending the G7 Summit voiced support for the agreement.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France and its allies stood ready to assist efforts to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom welcomed what they described as a “diplomatic breakthrough” and urged all parties to implement the agreement quickly.
