"Trump Initially Included Lebanon in Cease-Fire, Then Shifted After Call With Netanyahu"

As end-of-war talks between the United States of America (U.S.) and the Islamic Republic of Iran move into full swing, Lebanon has rapidly emerged as a key variable. The Financial News reported that Donald Trump is believed to have changed his position after a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) reported on the 9th, citing multiple diplomatic sources, that Trump had initially agreed to include Lebanon in the scope of a cease-fire. According to the report, not only the Islamic Republic of Iran and the mediator Pakistan but also Israel had accepted that condition.
However, after his phone conversation with Netanyahu, Trump shifted to the position that Lebanon would not be covered by the cease-fire. In an interview with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Trump said, "Lebanon was not included in the cease-fire agreement," pointing to Hezbollah, the pro-Iran armed faction in Lebanon, as the reason.
This reversal is widely seen as evidence of Netanyahu’s influence over U.S. policy across the Middle East. Analysts also note that Netanyahu’s persuasion was decisive when Trump made the decision to launch the war.
Conditions on the ground are deteriorating as well. Israel is continuing airstrikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah. Immediately after the cease-fire announcement on the 8th, large-scale strikes reportedly killed more than 300 people. The Islamic Republic of Iran has condemned the attacks as a violation of the cease-fire and is strongly protesting.
As a result, one of the core elements of the two-week cease-fire—the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—has not been fully implemented.
Ahead of end-of-war talks scheduled for the 11th of this month in Pakistan, the U.S. has launched a separate mediation effort. According to The Associated Press (AP) and other outlets, a U.S.-led three-way meeting involving Israel and Lebanon is to be held next week in Washington, D.C. The talks will focus on securing a cease-fire specifically for Lebanese territory.
In an interview with National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Trump said that Israel is "scaling back" its operations in Lebanon and added, "I spoke with Netanyahu, and he will hold back on the attacks."
Netanyahu, for his part, has formally stated that he is prepared to enter direct negotiations aimed at disarming Hezbollah and normalizing relations with the Lebanese government. However, with the Lebanon issue now at the center of the end-of-war talks, there remains a strong possibility that the negotiations will face serious difficulties.

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter