Trump Rebukes Netanyahu Over 3,783 Lebanon Deaths as Iran Deal Enters Second Stage
Updated
Updated · TIME · Jun 16
Trump Rebukes Netanyahu Over 3,783 Lebanon Deaths as Iran Deal Enters Second Stage
3 articles · Updated · TIME · Jun 16
Summary
At the G7 in France, Trump publicly told Netanyahu to be “more responsible” in Lebanon, saying Israel should have finished its fight with Hezbollah faster and that the conflict is casting a “negative light” on his Iran agreement.
The rebuke followed Netanyahu’s Monday vow that Israeli forces would stay in security zones in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria for as long as needed, ruling out any immediate withdrawal from Lebanon.
Trump called the Israel-Hezbollah war a “minor” conflict beside Iran and said he had suggested letting Syria under Ahmed al-Sharaa handle Hezbollah instead, even as Lebanon’s Health Ministry says 3,783 people have been killed since fighting reignited in March.
He still voiced confidence in the U.S.-Iran accord, saying the digitally signed memorandum has moved into a second stage ahead of a formal Geneva signing on Friday, though a permanent truce and the full framework remain unresolved.
The deal also promises to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Friday without Iranian tolls, but experts say traffic through the route that carries about one-fifth of global oil output may take weeks or months to normalize.
As Trump rebukes Netanyahu over Lebanon, is the US sacrificing its alliance with Israel for a risky peace with Iran?
With conflicting US and Iranian claims, must Israel's army withdraw from Lebanon as part of the new peace deal?
The US claims Iran's nuclear program is destroyed, but can Tehran still build over a dozen atomic bombs?
Lebanon on the Brink: 700,000 Displaced Amid U.S.-Iran Ceasefire, Israeli Defiance, and Humanitarian Crisis
Overview
The Lebanon conflict sharply escalated after the United States and Israel launched bombing campaigns against Iran in early March 2026, prompting Hezbollah in Lebanon to retaliate against Israel. This triggered a cycle of hostilities, with Israel threatening further strikes in Beirut if attacks continued. Iran responded by warning that any escalation in Lebanon would cross its red lines, risking direct war. Despite a preliminary peace deal between the U.S. and Iran calling for a ceasefire on all fronts, Israel maintained its operations in southern Lebanon, deepening the humanitarian crisis and straining U.S.-Israel relations while regional stability remained fragile.