Trump Urges Syria to Fight Hezbollah, Says Israel Kills Too Many in Lebanon

Q: Will the US-Iran deal end the Lebanon war if Israel refuses to withdraw?

No. A US-Iran deal may reduce fighting, but it is unlikely to end the Lebanon war if Israel refuses to withdraw from southern Lebanon. The core problem is that the deal’s Lebanon clause depends on actors who are not aligned. Iran has made an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon an inseparable part of its understanding with Washington, and the draft framework reportedly calls for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations, including in Lebanon. But Israel is not a party to that agreement and has publicly said it will keep troops in Lebanon. That refusal matters because Hezbollah’s position is also explicit: it links any durable ceasefire to Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory and rejects disarmament on Israel’s terms. If Israeli forces stay, Hezbollah can argue that the war has not truly ended, even if the pace of strikes falls. Recent events reinforce that gap. Israeli ministers have said they are not bound by a US-Iran arrangement and will not leave captured areas. At the same time, Israel continues to frame its objective as dismantling Hezbollah, while Lebanon insists that sovereignty and withdrawal must come first. Experts cited in the reporting say this leaves the conflict’s central dispute unresolved. So the most realistic outcome of a US-Iran deal, if Israel holds its ground, is a partial de-escalation: fewer strikes, less regional spillover, and more room for diplomacy. It would not, by itself, deliver a full end to the Lebanon war.

3 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 16

Trump said Syria should take on Hezbollah in Lebanon with U.S. backing if Israel "can't do the job" without killing civilians, casting the conflict as one Israel has fought for too long.
At a meeting with Qatar's emir, he said Israel does not need to level apartment buildings to target militants and called one recent Israeli strike over drones "too much."
Trump paired the criticism with praise for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying he had quickly stabilized Syria and protected U.S. interests.
He still said he has a great relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, but added that "without the United States, there would be no Israel" and that Netanyahu must be more responsible in Lebanon.