By Gloria Ogbonna
President Donald Trump said Monday that he believes the United States could secure a major agreement with Iran within the next week, expressing optimism about ongoing negotiations despite a dramatic escalation of tensions between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon that threatened to derail the diplomatic effort.
In a phone interview with ABC News, Trump described the negotiations as “looking good” and suggested that a temporary setback caused by growing regional tensions had been quickly resolved through his personal intervention.
“Looking good, looking good,” Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. “There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly, as you probably noticed earlier.”
The president’s comments came after a volatile day in the Middle East, where increasing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah raised concerns that delicate negotiations between Washington and Tehran could collapse. Iranian officials had warned that continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon could jeopardize diplomatic progress and potentially trigger broader regional consequences.
According to Trump, the primary obstacle involved Iranian objections to Israel’s intensified military campaign against Hezbollah. Tehran reportedly argued that attacks in Lebanon should be addressed within the framework of the existing ceasefire arrangements and any future agreement being negotiated with the United States.
Trump claimed he personally stepped in to prevent the situation from spiraling further.
“So I spoke with Hezbollah, and I said no shooting, and I talked to Bibi [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and said no shooting, and they both stopped shooting each other,” Trump said.
The intervention came amid growing fears that renewed fighting could destabilize ongoing efforts to negotiate a 60-day memorandum of understanding designed to extend the current ceasefire, reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, and establish a pathway for broader talks concerning Iran’s nuclear activities and regional security issues.
Earlier in the day, signs emerged that negotiations were under significant strain. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that Tehran had suspended indirect communications with Washington through mediators. The move was reportedly a response to Israel’s expanding military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a central figure in the negotiations, warned that the ceasefire arrangement should apply across all regional fronts, including Lebanon. He cautioned that any violations could have consequences and suggested both the United States and Israel would bear responsibility for actions that undermined the agreement.
Meanwhile, military tensions continued to rise. Hezbollah launched additional rocket and drone attacks targeting communities in northern Israel, including areas around Haifa, Safed, and Kiryat Shmona. The attacks prompted a strong response from Israeli leaders, who signaled they were prepared to intensify military operations against Hezbollah positions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement warning that Israel could target Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s southern Dahiyeh district if attacks against Israeli civilians continued. The Israel Defense Forces later released evacuation warnings in Arabic for residents in parts of southern Beirut, fueling speculation that significant strikes were imminent.
As concerns mounted, reports indicated that Trump held a direct and reportedly tense conversation with Netanyahu. According to multiple accounts, the president urged Israel to avoid launching a major offensive in Beirut out of concern that such an action could destroy the fragile diplomatic progress being made with Iran.
Later Monday, Trump publicly confirmed his involvement through a post on Truth Social.
“I had a conversation with Bibi Netanyahu today, asking him not to go into a major raid of Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi!” Trump wrote.
Trump also claimed he communicated with representatives connected to Hezbollah leadership and said both sides had agreed to temporarily halt hostilities.
“Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them. Let’s see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!” he added.
Despite Trump’s announcement, Netanyahu later clarified that Israel’s position had not fundamentally changed. The Israeli prime minister emphasized that military action would remain an option if Hezbollah continued targeting Israeli civilians.
“I spoke this evening with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and civilians, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut,” Netanyahu said. “This position remains unchanged.”
The developments highlighted the fragile nature of the negotiations, which have been marked by fluctuating optimism and uncertainty. Earlier Monday, Trump appeared less enthusiastic about the talks, telling CNBC that he would not be overly concerned if negotiations collapsed and describing the process as “very boring.” He also told NBC News that “going silent would be very good” amid reports that Iran was considering freezing discussions.
However, by the end of the day, the president had adopted a much more positive tone. In both social media posts and media interviews, Trump emphasized that discussions were progressing rapidly and suggested that a diplomatic breakthrough could ultimately prove more valuable than military confrontation.
“It’s not a simple thing,” Trump said. “You’re talking about a real large country making a deal. There’s tremendous hostility involved.”
He acknowledged the challenges facing both sides but insisted progress was being made.
“So it’s not easy for them. It’s actually not easy from our standpoint either. But we’re getting what we need to get,” he said.
Trump also provided his clearest timeline yet for a possible agreement, expressing confidence that a framework extending the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz could be finalized soon.
“I think you’re talking about over the next week,” the president said.
While expressing optimism, Trump noted that he had not yet formally approved the memorandum of understanding currently being negotiated because several outstanding issues still needed to be resolved.
“I still have to get a few more points,” he explained.
Negotiators have reportedly been working intensively on key provisions involving Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, restrictions on its nuclear program, guarantees preventing the development of nuclear weapons, and specific terms governing the reopening and security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
Iranian officials have indicated they intend to submit their own revisions to the proposal and have repeatedly warned that they remain prepared for the negotiations to fail if their concerns are not adequately addressed.
Despite those warnings, Trump’s latest remarks suggest the administration believes a breakthrough remains possible and that a significant diplomatic agreement could be reached in the coming days, potentially easing regional tensions while creating a new framework for U.S.-Iran relations.
Source Breitbart