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US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) described ongoing efforts to broker peace between Israel and Lebanon as "very exciting," suggesting a potential breakthrough in what he indicated could be another major diplomatic achievement.
Responding to a question on what was described as a "10th border" negotiation, Trump said, "It's very exciting. With Lebanon, it's very exciting. I think we're going to have a deal. We're going to have a meeting first time in 44 years and Lebanon will be meeting with Israel and they're probably going to do it at the White House." He added that he had recently spoken to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and expressed confidence about a ceasefire arrangement. "We're going to be meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon. I had a great talk with both of them today. They're going to be having a ceasefire and that'll include Hezbollah..." Trump said. On the timeline, the US President indicated that the meeting between the two sides could take place soon. "Over the next week or two," he said. Addressing concerns about whether an agreement could be reached without Hezbollah's consent, Trump expressed optimism about broader alignment. "I think we will have an agreement between Lebanon, and they're going to take care of Hezbollah. But they're going to be working on Hezbollah right now, but we'll have an agreement between Israel, very importantly, and Lebanon," he said. When asked directly if Hezbollah had agreed to the ceasefire, Trump responded, "They're all agreeing. It's a very nice little package for about a week, and we're not going to have lots of bombs dropping, and we're going to see if we can make peace between Lebanon and Israel." Trump also highlighted ongoing US military measures in the region, particularly the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. "We're doing very well with the blockade. It's very routine for us. The Navy's incredible, and I think the blockade is doing very well. No ship is even thinking about entering. No ship is going past our Navy," he said. The remarks come after Trump earlier announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to initiate a 10-day ceasefire following intensive diplomatic engagement by the United States. He had described his conversations with both leaders as "excellent" and termed the development a step toward a broader and lasting peace in the region. The ceasefire comes at a critical juncture for West Asia, following a period of significant volatility along the Israel-Lebanon border. (ANI)
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