In light of the continued American pressure on Tehran and the course of the negotiations, US President Donald Trump explained that Iran’s leaders “speak completely differently in meetings than they speak to the press,” noting that they are “much more rational and agree to everything they have to agree to.”
In an interview with NBC, Trump stressed that “if the Iranians do not reach an agreement, it will be very painful,” and added that “the Iranians have been crushed and do not have an army,” in a tone that appears escalatory despite the continuation of dialogue channels.
Regarding Lebanon, Trump stated that the Israelis are “reducing their operations in Lebanon,” stressing that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that the latter “will deal with the matter calmly.”
Trump’s statements come in light of a complex regional situation, after the temporary truce brokered by Pakistan between the United States and Iran for two weeks, and the debate it sparked about the extent of its inclusion in the Lebanese arena.
The last hours witnessed an Israeli escalation in Lebanon, represented by intense raids targeting the southern suburb of Beirut, the Bekaa and the south, coinciding with warnings to evacuate 8 neighborhoods in the suburb, including the Jnah area for the first time, causing a large wave of displacement and stifling traffic congestion towards Al-Awza’i Road and the vicinity of the airport.
Meanwhile, American and Israeli reports revealed that Netanyahu’s agreement to open a negotiating channel with Lebanon came after phone conversations with Trump and American envoy Steve Witkoff, in light of increasing international pressure to calm the situation.
In addition, Israeli sources expressed their concern about the chances of success of the negotiations, despite the preparation for holding a direct meeting between the delegations of Lebanon and Israel in Washington under American mediation.
