Trump Claims Israel-Hezbollah Halt, Iran Talks Resume Amid Clashes

Donald Trump claimed Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop all attacks following indirect talks, marking the first time a US president has engaged with the Lebanese militant group even through intermediaries. The announcement came as fighting in Lebanon threatened to derail broader US efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran.

In a post on his social media platform, Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with Hezbollah representatives. He wrote that both sides had committed to ending strikes, with Israel agreeing not to attack Beirut and Hezbollah halting rocket fire into northern Israel. The proposal would see Hezbollah cease operations in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from further advances toward the Lebanese capital.

Lebanese officials in Washington described the arrangement as a limited truce tied to de-escalation along the border. Netanyahu confirmed he had discussed the matter with Trump but signaled that Israeli forces would still strike Beirut if Hezbollah resumes attacks. Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon have continued despite the fragile April ceasefire that had been in place.

Behind the public display of coordination, US media reported that Trump delivered a profanity-laced rebuke to Netanyahu during their call. According to two officials cited by Axios, Trump accused the Israeli leader of making “everybody hate Israel” and told him he would be in prison without US protection. The president reportedly shouted that Netanyahu was acting crazy and demanded to know what he was doing amid mounting civilian casualties from Israeli strikes near hospitals and residential areas in southern Lebanon.

The reported outburst follows Iranian warnings that continued Israeli operations against Hezbollah would force Tehran to suspend nuclear talks with Washington. Iran has conditioned any final agreement on a full Israeli pullback from Lebanese territory. Sporadic clashes over the weekend already tested earlier pauses in fighting, with US forces maintaining a naval blockade of Iranian ports while energy prices rose from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to face four congressional hearings this week on the administration’s nearly 36-billion-dollar State Department budget request. Lawmakers from both parties have signaled growing impatience with the costs of the Iran conflict and are weighing measures to limit presidential war powers. Negotiators are still revising a draft memorandum that would require Iran to dismantle key elements of its nuclear program and reopen shipping lanes.

Trump’s decision to engage Hezbollah indirectly, despite its long-standing terrorist designation by the United States, underscores the shifting calculations in a conflict that has now stretched into its fourth month.