WASHINGTON, JUN 14 (AGENCIES): US President Donald Trump has said a proposed agreement with Iran remains on track despite an Israeli strike on Beirut that disrupted diplomatic efforts and delayed the expected signing.
In a phone interview with Axios, Trump said the strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, postponed the agreement by several hours and left him furious with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now,” Trump said.
The agreement is aimed at ending months of conflict that escalated after US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year.
However, Iranian officials have continued to maintain that no final deal has yet been approved.
Trump said he was caught off guard by the Israeli operation, which took place just hours before Washington and Tehran were expected to formalise the agreement.
“It is so bad– I couldn’t believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal,” he said.
While acknowledging that Hezbollah had launched attacks first, Trump criticised Israel’s response, noting that the initial incident caused no casualties.
“Why did Bibi have to do a * attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no judgement,” Trump told Axios.
The Israeli strike reportedly killed at least three people and injured several others. Israel said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure after drones believed to be linked to the group struck northern Israel.
The attack raised concerns that negotiations between Washington and Tehran could collapse. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf questioned whether the United States was capable of honouring its commitments, saying the incident showed Washington either lacked the will or the ability to implement its promises.
