Sunday bloody Sunday: Trump warns Israel not to blow up Iran deal
TOI correspondent from Washington In a striking public rebuke to Tel Aviv, US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged restraint after an Israeli strike on
TOI correspondent from Washington In a striking public rebuke to Tel Aviv, US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged restraint after an Israeli strike on Beirut threatened to derail what he has repeatedly described as an imminent peace agreement with Iran, a deal that despite his confident predictions would be signed on Sunday, had not materialized till the time of going to press."This morning's attack on Beirut should not have happened," Trump declared on Truth Social. "We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon... This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace… Let's not blow it!" The US President said while Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, 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 unusually direct message reflected growing White House frustration with Israel's apparent determination to maintain military pressure on Hezbollah and Iran's regional allies, even as Washington races to secure a broader understanding with Tehran.
Regional analysts believe the Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs was not merely an operational response to a "meaningless" Hezbollah attack, but a meticulously timed diplomatic middle finger.Tel Aviv is reportedly convinced that Trump -- ever eager for a dramatic diplomatic flourish -- is offering Iran more concessions than they consider prudent. Among the reported inducements are sanctions relief, release of frozen Iranian assets and a phased reopening of maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz that will revitalize Iran's economy.The result has been a geopolitical spectacle worthy of reality television: America's closest Middle East ally appearing to sabotage the signature foreign-policy initiative of a president who prides himself on being the world's ultimate dealmaker – all in the middle of a cagefight on the lawns of the White House to celebrate his 80th birthday.The peace agreement itself remains tantalizingly close and maddeningly out of reach. Trump had confidently predicted that the accord would be signed on Sunday, but evidently Tehran, has not received that memo. Iranian officials have pushed back against the White House timetable and mocked Trump, while insisting that while negotiations were progressing, several technical and political issues still required review.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against "premature announcements" and emphasized that no final signing date had been agreed upon.
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