ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed opposition to the latest Israeli strikes on Beirut, saying the attack "should not have happened." He also called for de-escalation as Washington and Tehran edge closer to an initial deal aimed at establishing a permanent ceasefire.
The comments came after Israel carried out an attack in the Lebanese capital in response to an attack by the Iran-aligned Hezbollah movement. The escalation comes as a Pakistani-mediated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran is expected to be finalized soon, following months of heightened tensions and direct confrontation between the two countries that began in late February.
"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 on his Truth Social platform.
While reaffirming Israel's right to self-defense, Trump said the incident that prompted the strike was minor.
"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," he said.
Trump added that they 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," he said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military warned of possible retaliation by its enemy.
"In accordance with the situation assessments, the IDF is preparing for the possibility of fire toward the territory of the State of Israel in the coming hours," the military said.
The military stressed that "the IDF will not tolerate fire toward the territory of the State of Israel."
The Israeli army later said alerts had been activated in northern Israel without providing further details.
The latest tensions come during a critical diplomatic period between Washington and Tehran. On Saturday, Trump said a deal with Iran was expected to be signed within 24 hours.
"Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!" he said.
Iran has repeatedly insisted that ending Israeli military operations in Lebanon is a key component of its fragile ceasefire agreement with the US. Earlier this month, Tehran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel following an Israeli strike on Beirut's Dahieh district, triggering two days of exchanges before Trump reportedly intervened to prevent further escalation.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later described its missile barrage as a "warning," stating that any further Israeli attacks on Lebanon would prompt a broader response targeting "all American and Zionist targets in the region."
