WASHINGTON, D.C., June 14: U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said the Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, “should not have happened,” warning that such escalation could jeopardize a peace agreement with Iran aimed at achieving a comprehensive solution to the West Asia conflict, which he said is within reach.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged all parties to exercise restraint, saying the region stood on the brink of a potentially historic breakthrough.
“This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran. Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless. Nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and it should not disrupt this important process,” the post read.
The U.S. president asserted that negotiations aimed at securing a peace deal with Iran had made significant progress and stressed that continued hostilities could undermine diplomatic efforts.
“We are very close to a deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down. There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” he said.
Calling for de-escalation, Trump expressed hope that the current moment could pave the way for lasting stability in the Middle East.
“This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — let’s not blow it!” he added.
Trump’s remarks came after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a “precise strike” earlier Sunday on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut’s Dahieh area following the launch of aerial targets by the militant group toward Israeli territory.
In a statement, the IDF said the targeted facility was being used by Hezbollah operatives to coordinate and advance attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers deployed in southern Lebanon.
“Following Hezbollah’s launch of aerial targets toward Israeli territory earlier today (Sunday), the IDF conducted a precise strike on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut,” the Israeli military said in a statement posted on Telegram.
However, Hezbollah said in a statement on Telegram that it had carried out a drone strike targeting a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the southern Lebanese town of Qantara.
Despite Trump’s criticism of the Israeli strikes on Beirut, an Israeli source told CNN that the Jewish state had informed the United States in advance of the operation, adding that Israeli authorities had taken into account the possibility that the strike could trigger a ballistic missile response from Iran.
Following the Israeli military’s strike in Beirut, IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has been holding continuous assessments with senior commanders, and based on the evolving situation, Israeli forces are preparing for the possibility of incoming fire targeting Israeli territory in the coming hours.
On Saturday, Trump said that a peace deal with Iran was expected to be signed on Sunday and described it as a safeguard against nuclear proliferation, ensuring that the Islamic Republic would not acquire nuclear weapons in the future.
He further noted that once the deal is signed, the Strait of Hormuz blockade would be lifted and the waterway would be “open to all.”
“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
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