Let Syria handle it if Israel can't avoid mass killings: Trump's Hezbollah fix
US President Donald Trump said he considered the Lebanon conflict a minor one, and an arena where Syria can take on Hezbollah if Israel under Netanyahu cannot be reigned in.
Venting his frustration with Israel's military campaign in Lebanon, US President Donald Trump went so far as to assert that Syria would do a better job in fighting Hezbollah there. During a meeting with the Emir of Qatar on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, Trump suggested that Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign against the Iran-backed militant group had nearly derailed peace negotiations with Iran.
"Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, so Syria should do the job," Trump said. The US President knows very well that Syria is a longtime adversary of the Jewish state.
The suggestion was a clear jab at Israel, coming a day after the US and Iran agreed to a framework peace deal. Iran and Pakistan have maintained that the deal includes an end to military operations in Lebanon as well, much to the chagrin of Israel.
TRUMP'S TOUGH TALK ON ISRAEL
Trump reiterated that he told Israel that he did not like its attack on Beirut on Sunday, adding that "there would be no Israel" without the US. Israel's fresh strike in the Lebanese capital killed three and injured six.
The remarks by Trump against Israel, a key US ally, were unusually frank. It comes amid an apparent rift between the two leaders over Lebanon.
"Israel's fighting Hezbollah for too long, and too many people are being killed. And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you are looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they are not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you," he further said.
Since March, Lebanese health officials have claimed that over 3,200 people have been killed in Israeli strikes. While Israel has claimed it targeted only Hezbollah infrastructure, hundreds of homes and buildings have been destroyed.
Trump, however, rejected speculation of any bad blood with Netanyahu. The eccentric US President underlined that he had a "great relationship" with the Israeli PM. However, in the same breath, Trump said he had to be "more responsible with respect to Lebanon".
'LEBANON WAR A MINOR ONE'
Trump's tough talk on Israel comes a day after the US and Iran announced a framework peace deal to end the conflict. It entails the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a global energy chokepoint, and the lifting of the US blockade on Iran.
A formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) is likely to be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
However, Israel pushed back on the inclusion of Lebanon in the US-Iran deal. Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted that Trump's agreement "does not bind us" and vowed to dismantle Hezbollah.
On Tuesday, Trump stressed that he considered the Lebanon conflict a "minor war". "Iran's the big one, but we have that little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head, and that's Hezbollah," he further said.
Trump asserted that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with whom he has good relations, does not like Hezbollah as well and would do a better job in "handling" the Iranian proxy.
"I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because I think they will do a better job of doing it," Trump said.
During the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters to help Bashar al-Assad stay in power. After all, for years, Syria served as a key transit corridor for Iranian weapons and supplies destined for Hezbollah.
They remained until Sharaa's rebel forces toppled the Assad regime in December 2024.
The US now seemingly sees an opportunity. For Syria, too, a role in Lebanon will help strengthen its stand with the US and Arab states.
However, despite Trump's assertion, questions remain whether a ravaged Syria possesses the military capability or regional backing needed to tackle Hezbollah.
'IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON'
Coming back to the agreement with Iran, Trump warned that "all hell will rain down" on Tehran if it tried to get a nuclear weapon.
"The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear," he said.
Iran, however, has always maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful and has not publicly committed to giving up the enriched uranium.
Without divulging much, Trump said the deal with Iran was going to a "second stage". He also said Washington was not investing any money in Iran as part of the agreement amid buzz that the US would provide $300 million as a reconstruction fund to the war-ravaged country.
Venting his frustration with Israel's military campaign in Lebanon, US President Donald Trump went so far as to assert that Syria would do a better job in fighting Hezbollah there. During a meeting with the Emir of Qatar on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, Trump suggested that Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign against the Iran-backed militant group had nearly derailed peace negotiations with Iran.
"Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, so Syria should do the job," Trump said. The US President knows very well that Syria is a longtime adversary of the Jewish state.
The suggestion was a clear jab at Israel, coming a day after the US and Iran agreed to a framework peace deal. Iran and Pakistan have maintained that the deal includes an end to military operations in Lebanon as well, much to the chagrin of Israel.
TRUMP'S TOUGH TALK ON ISRAEL
Trump reiterated that he told Israel that he did not like its attack on Beirut on Sunday, adding that "there would be no Israel" without the US. Israel's fresh strike in the Lebanese capital killed three and injured six.
The remarks by Trump against Israel, a key US ally, were unusually frank. It comes amid an apparent rift between the two leaders over Lebanon.
"Israel's fighting Hezbollah for too long, and too many people are being killed. And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you are looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they are not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you," he further said.
Since March, Lebanese health officials have claimed that over 3,200 people have been killed in Israeli strikes. While Israel has claimed it targeted only Hezbollah infrastructure, hundreds of homes and buildings have been destroyed.
Trump, however, rejected speculation of any bad blood with Netanyahu. The eccentric US President underlined that he had a "great relationship" with the Israeli PM. However, in the same breath, Trump said he had to be "more responsible with respect to Lebanon".
'LEBANON WAR A MINOR ONE'
Trump's tough talk on Israel comes a day after the US and Iran announced a framework peace deal to end the conflict. It entails the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a global energy chokepoint, and the lifting of the US blockade on Iran.
A formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) is likely to be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
However, Israel pushed back on the inclusion of Lebanon in the US-Iran deal. Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted that Trump's agreement "does not bind us" and vowed to dismantle Hezbollah.
On Tuesday, Trump stressed that he considered the Lebanon conflict a "minor war". "Iran's the big one, but we have that little pinprick out there that constantly rears its head, and that's Hezbollah," he further said.
Trump asserted that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with whom he has good relations, does not like Hezbollah as well and would do a better job in "handling" the Iranian proxy.
"I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because I think they will do a better job of doing it," Trump said.
During the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters to help Bashar al-Assad stay in power. After all, for years, Syria served as a key transit corridor for Iranian weapons and supplies destined for Hezbollah.
They remained until Sharaa's rebel forces toppled the Assad regime in December 2024.
The US now seemingly sees an opportunity. For Syria, too, a role in Lebanon will help strengthen its stand with the US and Arab states.
However, despite Trump's assertion, questions remain whether a ravaged Syria possesses the military capability or regional backing needed to tackle Hezbollah.
'IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON'
Coming back to the agreement with Iran, Trump warned that "all hell will rain down" on Tehran if it tried to get a nuclear weapon.
"The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear," he said.
Iran, however, has always maintained that its nuclear program was peaceful and has not publicly committed to giving up the enriched uranium.
Without divulging much, Trump said the deal with Iran was going to a "second stage". He also said Washington was not investing any money in Iran as part of the agreement amid buzz that the US would provide $300 million as a reconstruction fund to the war-ravaged country.
