Trump says he 'had a very good call with Hezbollah' to end 'shooting' in Lebanon

Trump says he 'had a very good call with Hezbollah' to end 'shooting' in Lebanon Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 18:59 The US president referred to 'highly placed representatives' who coordinated the discussion US President Donald Trump talks on the phone as he departs the White House for the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on 31 May 2026 (Aaron Schwartz/Reuters) Off US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had "a very good call with Hezbollah" to implement some measure of a ceasefire with Israel in Lebanon, after Israeli forces again issued forced expulsion orders from the Beirut suburbs. "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 on his Truth Social account. "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." Middle East Eye reached out to the White House for clarity on who from the US government spoke to Hezbollah, and was told that the press office had "nothing to add to the TRUTH post". Hezbollah member of parliament Hassan Fadlallah said later on Monday in a statement that the group supports a "full ceasefire" throughout all of Lebanon, adding it would be a precursor to an Israeli troop withdrawal from all Lebanese territory. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Fadlallah added that Hezbollah rejected a partial truce offer that would spare Beirut from strikes in return for a halt to Hezbollah's attacks in northern Israel. The Lebanese presidency confirmed later on Monday that Hezbollah agreed to a US proposal on a “mutual cessation of attacks” that would expand across all of Lebanon. Netanyahu, however, said Israel's "stance... remains unchanged". "I spoke with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and citizens—Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut. This stance of ours remains unchanged," the Israeli prime minister said on X. "In parallel, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon," he said in reference to Israeli forces. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs began leaving their homes again on Monday after Israel threatened to expand its attacks on the Lebanese capital, raising fears of a renewed assault on Dahieh despite a nominal ceasefire. The latest wave of anxiety followed a statement by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who warned there would be “no calm in Beirut” if Hezbollah’s attacks on Israeli forces and northern Israel continued. A ceasefire in principle Israel has killed more than 3,200 Lebanese since Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel, in support of its ally Hamas, on 8 October 2023. A Biden administration-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, signed in November 2024, has been violated by Israel more than a thousand times. The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on 28 February, intensified Israel's assault on Lebanon as it continues to demand that Hezbollah be entirely disarmed. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); On Friday, US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon to launch what the Pentagon described as the "security track supporting the ongoing talks" between the two sides. Israel issues new expulsion orders as forces press deeper into Lebanon Read More » "The delegations engaged in productive, military-to-military talks focused on building practical frameworks for regional security and stability," the statement said. "The progress and tangible outcomes from these discussions will directly inform the Department of State-led political track," which is scheduled to reconvene this week, marking the third such meeting, the Pentagon said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors for direct talks in Washington in late April, and again last month for a longer discussion. It was the first time in four decades that there had been face-to-face engagement between the two sides at a high level. Hezbollah was not represented. The US designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997. But it remains the foremost military actor in Lebanon, and is represented in the country's parliament. It was formed in 1982 to explicitly counter Israel's occupation and influence in Lebanon. "I know some of you were shouting questions about a ceasefire," Rubio told reporters at the first talks in April. "This is a lot more than just about that. This is about bringing a permanent end to 20 or 30 years of Hezbollah’s influence in this part of the world and the - not just the damage that it’s inflicted on Israel - [but] the damage that it’s inflicted on the Lebanese people." That meeting ultimately lasted just two hours. "It's certainly a good thing that the conversation took place, and it's a good thing that the United States agreed to host it, even though it was...at a low level, purely exploratory," Steven Simon, a former National Security Council official in the Clinton administration, told Middle East Eye at the time. "It's really difficult to see how these talks will alter the course of combat operations, which are what shape the diplomatic environment and the diplomatic possibilities," he added. Trump insists Iran is at the negotiating table Also on Monday, Trump appeared to rebuff Iranian reports that Tehran decided to pull out of ongoing talks with Washington, precisely because Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon. Hezbollah has received Iranian training and support since its inception, and considers Iran its foremost partner. Iran halts talks with US, says it will close Bab el-Mandeb Strait: Report Read More » "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Just hours earlier, Iran reportedly suspended all exchanges with mediators to end the war, the Tasnim news agency said. "Given the continuing crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Lebanon and considering that Lebanon was one of the preconditions for the ceasefire and that this ceasefire has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Iranian negotiating team is suspending dialogues and exchange of texts through mediators," Tasnim reported. Tasnim said that Iran wants an "immediate cessation" of Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Tasnim, which is close to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that Iran and its allies had "set their determination to completely block the Strait of Hormuz and activate other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait" at the entrance to the Red Sea. War on Iran Washington News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0