US President Donald Trump reacted to the Israeli retaliatory strike on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut on Sunday, hinting that Israel should forgo its right to defend itself so that he could achieve a memorandum of understanding with Iran.
"This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
He added that "Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process."
The President also claimed that the deal with Iran would include Lebanon, stating, "We are very close to a deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down."
"There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel. This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace - Let’s not blow it!" he urged.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said that the deal with Iran is expected to be signed in the next 2-3 hours.
President Trump said that in a call following the strike in the Dahieh, he asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, “What the ----- are you doing?" and told Netanyahu not to conduct additional strikes.
The President also said that he will ask Iran not to respond with missile fire toward Israel.
Speaking with Axios's Barak Ravid, the President lashed out even more harshly, saying: "Why did Bibi have to do a ----ing attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that."
Trump told Ravid that the attack delayed the signing of the deal between the US and Iran by a few hours. "It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now. It is so bad - I couldn't believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal."
The IDF on Sunday conducted a precise strike on a Hezbollah command center in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, following the infiltration of three unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Lebanon into Israeli airspace during the morning hours. Two drones exploded in the Shlomi area of the western Galilee, while a third later exploded in a military zone inside Israel.