US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting, adding that negotiations with Iran were progressing rapidly despite recent tensions over Israel’s military offensive in Lebanon.
Trump said on social media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had assured him that Israeli troops would not enter Beirut’s southern suburbs as previously threatened, while Hezbollah had agreed to halt attacks.
His comments came after Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had suspended dialogue with mediators in protest over Israel’s expanding offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel, and there will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way have already been turned back,” Trump wrote.
“Likewise, through highly placed representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
In another post shortly afterwards, Trump said discussions with Iran were continuing quickly.
“Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote.
Earlier on Monday, however, Trump appeared less optimistic about the future of the negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that began after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Speaking during a telephone interview with CNBC, Trump suggested he was not overly concerned about the possibility of the talks collapsing.
“If they’re over, they’re over,” Trump said. “Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring.”
He also told NBC News that he had not been informed about Iran reportedly suspending negotiations but suggested fewer public discussions might be beneficial.
“I think we’ve been talking too much, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said.
“I think going silent would be very good, and that could be for a long time.”