Trump claims he can get 'problems solved real fast' in Lebanon, but Israel's ground offensive suggests otherwise
As Israel and Hezbollah hold a shaky ceasefire, and the standoff in Lebanon continues, US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said that he
As Israel and Hezbollah hold a shaky ceasefire, and the standoff in Lebanon continues, US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said that he will get "problems solved real fast" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His remarks came after Netanyahu refused to remove the Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, despite the ongoing peace talks between the US and Iran, ANI reported. When asked how it would be ensured that Netanyahu doesn't jeopardise the negotiations after the two sides signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Trump refused to share details of his plan but called himself a “problem solver.” Speaking to reporters, the US president said, "I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do, but it gets solved. I'm a problem solver. I get problems solved real fast, including with Bibi." Trump reiterates claims of preventing strikes in Lebanon Trump's latest remarks are not the first time that he has claimed that Israel listens to what he says and that he can get the Lebanon issue resolved.
Last week, in an interview with Axios, the Republican President claimed that he would be able to stop Israel from attacking Lebanon and carrying out further strikes and asserted that Tel Aviv's leadership acts on his directions due to mutual respect. When asked if he could restrain Israel's military action in the Middle East, particularly the strikes on Beirut, he said that he would be able to exercise control over such decisions. He added, "Yeah, I will be. I mean, they have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say." During the interview, Trump referred to Netanyahu and said the two maintain a strong but closely watched relationship. Commenting on their relationship, he said, “It's good, but we have to keep him a little bit sane.” Does Israel really follow Trump's demands? While Trump has maintained that he can influence Israel's military actions in Lebanon, Israel's actions since the cessation of hostilities with Iran have raised questions about the extent of that influence.
On Monday, Netanyahu reiterated that Tel Aviv's forces will continue to remain in Lebanon. Addressing the Jerusalem News Syndicate's International Policy Summit 2026, he disregarded the US-Iran MoU and reaffirmed his resolve to protect Israel and its citizens. He further asserted that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will continue to be in the security zone in southern Lebanon, despite the quadrilateral meeting in Switzerland agreeing to form a "de-confliction zone" to cease the hostilities in Lebanon. He said, "No matter what happens in the talks, with an agreement, without an agreement, I pledge to you that Iran, as long as I'm Prime Minister, will never have a nuclear weapon. Never. As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, I will not let that happen. As long as we need to protect our people, we will remain in the security zone in South Lebanon. No country would be asked to do otherwise." Donald Trump-Benjamin Netanyahu ties The conflicting stances of the two leaders seem to further strain their ties.
The BriefWire