How Netanyahu used Lebanon strikes to push back on Trump’s Iran deal
The latest ceasefire in Lebanon leaves Netanyahu squeezed between Washington and domestic pressure.
TEL AVIV — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had signaled to Washington that he would not bow to President Donald Trump’s pressure to halt military operations in southern Lebanon, but by Friday afternoon Washington announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah had taken effect. Netanyahu’s silence following the announcement underscored the difficult position he now faces — squeezed between mounting pressure from the United States and growing political pressure at home, a senior Israeli political source told Al-Monitor.
Earlier Friday, Netanyahu vowed that the Israeli military would exact a heavy price from Hezbollah after four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon shortly after midnight. Israel's military carried out more than 80 airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday, killing at least 18 people and injuring 33 others, according to Lebanese health officials.
The retaliatory strikes were intended not only to deter Hezbollah, but also to send a message to Trump that Israel would not relinquish what it sees as its right — and obligation — to protect residents of the north, the senior political source said.
The US agreement with Iran calls for an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israel is engaged in a long-running conflict with Iranian proxy Hezbollah. Following the exchange of fire early Friday, Tehran announced that an Iranian delegation would not travel to Switzerland for scheduled talks with US officials about the agreement until Israel ceased strikes in Lebanon.
