Trump says Israeli strike on Beirut delayed signing of Iran deal: 'Because of that damn attack'

Iran pushes back hard against Israeli strike on Beirut, saying US has shown no will to honor its commitments; Trump publicly criticizes Israel in rare rebuke, urging all sides to show restraint

An Israeli airstrike on Lebanon has emerged as a last-minute complication amid a near-final agreement between the United States and Iran on ending hostilities and denuclearization. Donald Trump publicly criticized the Israeli military action in an unusually direct rebuke, warning it could undermine his vision for peace in the Middle East.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Saturday that "the attack on Beirut this morning should not have happened," adding that the timing was particularly troubling "on such a special day when we are so close to a peace deal with Iran."

He said Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but argued that "the attack that was responded to was very small and insignificant," and urged that the strike "not be allowed to interfere with this very important process."

"We are very close to a deal that will bring peace to this region, including Lebanon," Trump wrote, calling on all parties to exercise restraint. He said there should be no further Israeli strikes anywhere in Lebanon, and that no faction — including Hezbollah — should attack Israel. "This can be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace," he wrote. "Let's not blow it."

Trump had previously announced plans to sign the agreement with Iran on the previous day, his 80th birthday. The Israeli strike disrupted the signing schedule. In a separate post, he vented his frustration directly: "The signing is being delayed because of that damn attack."

Israel carried out the strike targeting Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group operating in Lebanon. Israel said Hezbollah had sent three drones into its airspace and struck Hezbollah facilities in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Saturday. Lebanese media reported at least three people were killed and 15 others wounded.

Iran responded immediately.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament who leads the country's end-of-war negotiations, posted on X that the strike had "once again shown that the United States has neither the will nor the ability to honor its own commitments."

He accused Washington of pursuing a strategy of tacitly allowing Israeli military action while demanding concessions from Tehran, and said that "if the United States lacks the will and ability to keep its promises, it becomes impossible to continue discussing future negotiations."

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's foreign affairs and national security committee, also posted on X, warning that if Washington wants any agreement or understanding, it must "first control the Zionist regime." He added that if it cannot "control the mad dog, it will bite your legs before the ink on the agreement is even dry."

Trump's public display of frustration with Israel and his call for restraint are widely seen as an effort to prevent the clash between Israel and Hezbollah from derailing the US-Iran deal. Concern is growing that renewed instability in the Middle East could jeopardize the end-of-war and denuclearization agreement that had been on the verge of completion.

mokiya@heraldcorp.com