Trump pressures Netanyahu on Lebanon, suggests Syria could fight Hezbollah

U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even suggesting that Syria's new leadership could be better equipped to handle Hezbollah in Lebanon. This intervention comes as U.S.-Iran negotiations over a broader regional conflict settlement intensify.

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Without the United States, there would be no Israel.

Trump, speaking at the G7 summit in France, asserted that Israel's conflict with Hezbollah has "gone on forever" and reflects negatively on the larger deal being negotiated with Iran. He controversially proposed that Israel should "let Syria take care of Hezbollah," believing they would "do a better job." This suggestion follows Trump's efforts to foster ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who recently ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad.

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Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did.

Netanyahu's government has been engaged in a conflict with Hezbollah, which erupted in March. Israel launched an attack on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut, leading to a heated exchange between Trump and Netanyahu, with the U.S. president demanding a halt to further attacks. However, Trump's criticism has broadened to Netanyahu's overall strategy, questioning why the job isn't done faster.

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I've had a great relationship with Bibi [Mr Netanyahu], but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.

The proposed U.S.-Iran deal aims for a cessation of all regional hostilities, including in Lebanon. However, differing interpretations exist regarding troop withdrawal. While the White House suggests Israeli troop withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory is not a condition, Iran's foreign minister insists it is integral to ending the war.

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Israel should have been able to do the job faster. It just goes on forever. And when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal, and that's the deal with Iran.