United States President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a cessation of hostilities, adding that negotiations with Iran are progressing swiftly despite recent tensions over Israel's military campaign in Lebanon.
In a social media post, Trump stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured him that Israeli forces would not enter Beirut's southern suburbs as previously threatened, while Hezbollah agreed to halt attacks.
The president's remarks came after Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had suspended dialogue with mediators in protest over Israel's expanding offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Productive Call with Netanyahu
"I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel, and there will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way have already been turned back," Trump wrote.
"Likewise, through highly placed representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel."
Rapid Talks with Iran
In a subsequent post, Trump indicated that discussions with Iran are continuing quickly.
"Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he wrote.
Earlier on Monday, however, Trump appeared less optimistic about the future of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that began after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
During a telephone interview with CNBC, Trump suggested he was not overly concerned about the possibility of the talks collapsing.
"If they're over, they're over," Trump said. "Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring."
He also told NBC News that he had not been informed about Iran reportedly suspending negotiations but suggested fewer public discussions might be beneficial.
"I think we've been talking too much, if you want to know the truth," Trump said.
"I think going silent would be very good, and that could be for a long time."
