Trump slams Israeli strike on Beirut, says Iran peace deal imminent

U.S. President Donald Trump on June 14 criticized Israel for carrying out an airstrike on the Lebanese capital Beirut on the same day he said an agreement to end the war between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran could be signed.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote: 'Israel's attack on Beirut should not have happened, especially on a special day when we are very close to a Peace Deal with Iran.' He stressed: 'We are very close to an Agreement that will bring peace to the region, including Lebanon, and all parties should lay down their arms.'

'There will be no more Israeli attacks anywhere in Lebanon, but there will also be no more attacks from any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel. This could be the beginning of a long and wonderful peace — Don't mess it up!' Trump warned.

The statement came shortly after Iran’s top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Israeli attacks once again call into question trust in the United States. On social media platform X, Ghalibaf wrote: 'America either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or lacks the capacity to do so. If you lack both the will and the capacity to keep your promises, then discussing continuing down this path is impossible.'

Israeli airstrikes hit the Dahiyeh district of Beirut, killing at least three people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military carried out the attacks in response to Hezbollah fire toward northern Israel. But Trump questioned that justification, saying 'the attack Israel responded to was very small and meaningless, no one was hurt, harmed or killed, and should not interrupt this important process.'

Earlier, on June 13, Trump announced that the deal with Iran was 'scheduled' for signing on June 14, with a Pakistani mediator saying the ceremony would be held digitally. However, Iranian officials cited a different timeline, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei saying signing could take several days. Still, both sides agreed that signing a memorandum of understanding to end hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, was 'closer than ever.'

Although the formal terms have not been disclosed, both sides have indicated that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened, the U.S. naval blockade will be lifted, and hostilities will cease immediately. Deeper issues regarding the future of Iran's nuclear program, frozen assets, and sanctions relief are expected to be resolved within 60 days of signing.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Studies, called the Israeli attacks 'a strategic test' for both sides. He explained that Israel has consistently demanded that Lebanon be excluded from any deal with Iran, and noted 'domestic purposes' as upcoming elections in Israel approach, with Netanyahu facing criticism for not doing enough to address Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Barack Obama, in an interview with ABC News's 'This Week,' argued that it is difficult to achieve a better deal than the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA) his administration negotiated. 'It's hard to believe that any deal that emerges will be significantly different or a significant improvement over the deal we had from the start,' Obama said. He also stressed that the U.S. cannot 'just bully or bomb its way to a solution,' adding, 'You'd think we would have learned that lesson by now.'