US President Donald Trump has called for more targeted military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying he would prefer a “surgical” approach, while expressing hope for greater stability and prosperity in the country.
His remarks in a pre-recorded interview with NBC were aired on Sunday and coincided with Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, threatening to unravel a US-backed ceasefire effort that Washington had been trying to preserve.
“I’d like to see Lebanon have a better life. I’d like to see a more surgical attack on Hezbollah. I think it should be more surgical,” Trump said, according to a transcript of the interview.
The remarks marked a sharp turn in tone from a president who, only days earlier, had pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid a wider assault on Beirut and had promoted a truce framework under which Hezbollah would halt attacks while Israel would scale back operations near the Lebanese capital.
Trump acknowledged in the interview that he had been frustrated with some Israeli actions in Lebanon. But he also said he and Netanyahu were on the same page and got along well, signalling that Washington was not prepared to break publicly with Israel.
The president did not elaborate on what specific measures he believed should be taken against Hezbollah.
The US has long designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and has accused it of destabilising Lebanon and the wider West Asia through its military activities and close ties with Iran.
Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday’s strikes targeted what they described as Hezbollah “terrorist” headquarters in retaliation for earlier firing at northern Israel.
“We are striking them very hard, and we know that Hezbollah is on the run,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet.
Lebanon’s state-run national news agency said two people were killed and 11 were wounded in a preliminary count. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,613 people and wounded 11,072 between March 2 and June 7.
The escalation also drew a direct warning from Tehran. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, said Iran would deliver a “decisive and painful response” to the attack on Dahiyeh. “These rabid dogs must be disciplined and put back in their place.” He added: “Look at the sky over the occupied lands tonight.” There has been no immediate White House comment.
Days earlier, the Lebanese and Israeli governments’ meeting in Washington renewed a ceasefire agreement in ongoing talks that Beirut hopes will end the fighting. Israel has struck Beirut’s southern suburbs twice since the first such agreement took effect on April 17.
The interview also touched on the US-Iran track. Asked whether he was demanding that Lebanon be included in a short-term deal with Tehran, Trump said: “No, no. Not at all. I’m not demanding.”
Tehran has, meanwhile, insisted that Lebanon should be part of any wider arrangement to end the US-Israel conflict with Iran.