Trump Says Israeli Strikes on Beirut 'Should Not Have Happened,' Insists Peace Deal is Close
"We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down," Trump wrote on social media.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday criticized Israeli strikes on Beirut, saying they "should not have happened," while maintaining that a regional peace agreement was within reach despite growing uncertainty surrounding negotiations with Iran.
"We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down," Trump wrote on social media.
"This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace -- Let's not blow it!" he added.
Trump's remarks came as Iran declared there was "no point" in continuing peace talks with the United States, accusing Washington of failing to honor its commitments and casting doubt on a deal the U.S. president had repeatedly said was imminent.
The latest setback followed Israeli strikes targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah positions in Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel, which launched the war alongside the United States in February, said the attacks were aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure.
Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strikes demonstrated that Washington either lacked the will or the ability to fulfill its obligations.
"The Zionists' aggression against Dahieh once again showed that the United States either lacks the will to implement its commitments or lacks the ability to do so," Ghalibaf wrote on X, adding that under such circumstances "there is no point in talking about continuing down this path."
For weeks, Trump has insisted that an agreement with Tehran was close. On Saturday, he said a deal was expected to be signed on Sunday and that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately after the agreement took effect.
Iran, however, has maintained that any settlement to the broader Middle East conflict must also address the fighting in Lebanon, where cross-border hostilities escalated after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on March 2.
Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Jafar Asadi warned that the latest Israeli strikes "will not go unanswered."
A U.S. official said the proposed agreement includes provisions related to Lebanon, while Pakistan, which has played a mediating role in the negotiations, also indicated that the signing was expected on Sunday.
Despite those expectations, Iran's Fars news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, reported that Tehran had "not yet taken or announced its final decision," leaving the fate of the proposed peace agreement uncertain.