Trump says Israeli strikes on Beirut should not have happened as Iran peace deal nears

Washington : US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s capital of Beirut “should not have happened”, warning that such escalation could jeopardise the peace

agreement with Iran to achieve a complete solution to the West Asia conflict, which, according to him, is within reach. In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged all parties to exercise restraint, saying the region stood on the brink of a potentially historic breakthrough.

 “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. 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 post read.

The US President asserted that the negotiations aimed at securing a peace deal with Iran had made significant progress and stressed that continued hostilities could undermine the diplomatic efforts.

 “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,” he noted.

Calling for de-escalation, Trump expressed hope that the current moment could pave the way for lasting stability in the Middle East.

“This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!” his post added.

Trump’s remarks come after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), earlier today, carried out a “precise strike” on a Hezbollah command centre in Beirut’s Dahieh area following the launch of aerial targets by the rebel group towards Israeli territory.

In a statement, the IDF said the targeted facility was being used by Hezbollah operatives to coordinate and advance attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers deployed in southern Lebanon.

 “Following Hezbollah’s launch of aerial targets toward Israeli territory earlier today (Sunday), the IDF conducted a precise strike on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut,” the Israeli military said in a statement on Telegram.

However, Hezbollah, in its statement on Telegram, stated that it carried out a drone strike targeting a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the southern Lebanese town of Qantara today.

Despite Trump’s displeasure over Israeli strikes on Beirut, an Israeli source told CNN that the Jewish state had informed the US ahead of its strike, adding that the Israeli authorities had taken into account the possibility that the operation could trigger a ballistic missile response from Iran

Following the Israeli military’s strike in Beirut, IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has been holding continuous assessments with senior commanders, and based on the evolving situation, the Israeli forces are preparing for the possibility of incoming fire targeting Israeli territory in the coming hours.

On Saturday, Trump said that a peace deal with Iran was expected to be signed on Sunday and described it as a safeguard against nuclear proliferation, ensuring that the Islamic Republic would not acquire nuclear weapons in the future.

He further noted that after the deal is signed, the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz will be “open to all”.

“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump had stated in a post on Truth Social. (ANI)