Trump, Netanyahu give differing accounts of phone call over fighting in Lebanon

Iran has insisted any peace agreement with Washington must also cover Lebanon, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah terrorists and Israel are engaged in a parallel war. Photo by KAWNAT HAJU/AFP via Getty Images

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President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered differing accounts of a call about the fighting in Lebanon, as the U.S. struggled to get efforts toward an Iran peace deal back on track.

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The mismatched statements were the latest example of confusing signals on progress to end a war, now in its fourth month, that has killed thousands across the region and triggered a global energy crisis. Iran said Monday that it was suspending talks with the U.S. amid ongoing clashes in Lebanon — which Tehran has said must stop as part of a broader peace deal.

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The president said in a Truth Social post on Monday evening that he had asked the Israeli leader “not to go into a major raid of Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi! I also had a conversation with Representatives of the Leaders of Hezbollah, and they agreed to stop shooting at Israel, and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them. Let’s see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!”

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Earlier Monday, Trump said that talks with Iran were continuing “at a rapid pace” — countering earlier statements from Tehran.

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Netanyahu, however, didn’t describe the arrangement in such sweeping terms. While he confirmed that Israel wouldn’t strike targets in Beirut so long as Hezbollah ceased its own attacks, he also said Israel’s campaign in southern Lebanon would continue.

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“I spoke this evening with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not stop firing at our cities and citizens – Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut,” Netanyahu said in a social media post. “This position of ours remain unchanged. Concurrently, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon.”

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Lebanon has received confirmation that Hezbollah, a militia that the U.S. regards as a terrorist organization, agreed to the U.S. proposal. Israel’s planned attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs would be halted in exchange for the militant group ceasing its strikes, the Lebanese presidency said in a post.

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The ceasefire should be expanded to include the entirety of Lebanese territories, with more negotiations taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, the presidency said.

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Asian stocks retreated from record highs early Tuesday amid the conflicting signals from the Middle East. Brent crude steadied around $95 a barrel.

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Trump has regularly claimed that negotiations were advancing and close to reaching a deal as the ceasefire that began in April remained fragile. Iran disputed reports last week that an interim accord was close and on Monday said it would act with its proxies, dubbed the “Axis of Resistance,” against Israel if fighting in Lebanon continued.

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Iran has insisted any agreement with Washington must also cover Lebanon, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah terrorists and Israel are engaged in a parallel war. Israel deepened its invasion of Lebanon over the weekend, while Hezbollah stepped up attacks on Israel’s north.