Trump calls on Netanyahu to act “responsibly”
Israel’s security zone in Lebanon
The good news at the start of the week regarding a possible agreement to end the war in the Middle East has been overshadowed by the situation in southern Lebanon, which could prove to be the key factor preventing a final agreement between the United States and Iran.
Whilst awaiting details of the draft agreement to be discussed by the US and Iranian delegations in Switzerland from this coming Friday, developments over the last few hours in southern Lebanon threaten to ruin the prospects of the agreement coming to fruition.
Le président des États-Unis, Donald Trump, prend la parole lors d’une rencontre bilatérale avec le président des Émirats arabes unis (EAU), Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, en marge du sommet du G7 qui s’est tenu à Évian-les-Bains, en France, le 16 juin 2026. REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN
Trump calls on Netanyahu to act “responsibly”
Faced with this possibility, US President Donald Trump has sought to distance himself from Israel and prevent the Israeli army’s actions in Lebanon from prompting Iran to withdraw from the forthcoming negotiations in Switzerland.
Indeed, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has been quick to warn that any Israeli attack on Lebanon, or the continued presence of the Israeli army on Lebanese territory, would be regarded as a breach of the provisional agreement.
To prevent this potential “walkout”, Trump has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be “more responsible” in his actions regarding Lebanon, whilst also making it clear that he is far from pleased with Israel’s conduct in that country: “I am not satisfied with the way Israel has acted in Lebanon and with regard to Hezbollah. They should have been able to finish the job, but this is simply dragging on endlessly, and when that happens, it casts a negative light on the major agreement, which is the agreement with Iran”.
For Trump, the agreement with Iran is key, and he is not prepared to let the recent Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon – which took place after the ceasefire had already been announced – derail the potential end to the war.
Group photo taken during the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on 16 June 2026 – REUTERS/ ISABEL INFANTES
Syria, responsible in Lebanon
As well as criticising Israel’s actions, Trump has also been quick to downplay the war in Lebanon, which he considers “minor” and which does not hinder the potential deal with Iran.
The US president has even gone a step further, stating whilst in the French town of Evian to attend the G7 summit that “the Israeli government should let Syria deal with Hezbollah, if they are unable to do so without killing anyone”.
It should be remembered that Syria is currently led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former member of an Islamist group with links to al-Qaeda who spearheaded the rebellion against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Iran.
A man sits amongst the rubble in Jibchit, in the Nabatieh district (Lebanon), on 16 June 2026, following the agreement reached between the United States and Iran – PHOTO/ REUTERS
Israel’s security zone in Lebanon
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on 15 June that the Israel Defence Forces will remain in the security zone they have established in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary”.
According to Netanyahu, the Israeli Army will remain in the area to protect residents in northern Israel and maintain “freedom of action”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – PHOTO/ NATHAN HOWARD
So far, its recent air strikes in southern Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of several people who, according to Israel, were terrorists “threatening its soldiers”.
Regarding Trump’s warnings about the threat his actions pose to a potential peace deal with Iran, Netanyahu pointed out that he and Trump have known each other for many years: “He is the President of the United States, I am the Prime Minister of Israel; we often see things in the same way, and there are also instances where we do not see things quite in the same way. I am responsible for Israel’s security interests.”
El presidente libanés, Joseph Aoun – REUTERS/ MOHAMED AZAKIR
Part of the agreement or not
The key question is whether security in southern Lebanon is an issue at the heart of the agreement to be negotiated from this coming Friday in Switzerland.
The Iranian government maintains the position that the cessation of the Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon is one of the conditions for signing the agreement.
In contrast, the United States denies that this is one of the conditions included. In fact, the Trump administration has leaked to the press that Israel’s withdrawal is not one of the conditions of the agreement, and that, if Iran is unable to control Hezbollah and Israel comes under attack, it will have the right to defend itself.
The Lebanese government is already preparing for the negotiations with Israel due to take place next week in Washington, which will be the first to be held following the peace agreement between the United States and Iran.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam – PHOTO/ LUDOVIC MARIN / via REUTERS
Lebanon’s President, Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, have reaffirmed the country’s position in the negotiations with the United States regarding a “permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories, the deployment of the Lebanese army along the international border, the return of Lebanese prisoners and the start of reconstruction efforts”.
Furthermore, Aoun and Salam view the rapprochement between the United States and Iran as a “positive factor in reducing tensions in the region”, as well as “a step towards peaceful solutions and an end to the state of war”.