Middle East Crisis Israel-Hezbollah

Trump: Not happy with Israel – let Syria take care of Hezbollah

US President Donald Trump says he is not happy with how Israel has handled its warfare in Lebanon, he says according to Bloomberg.

– I suggested that Israel should let Syria take care of Hezbollah, he says during the G7 meeting in France.

Trump says that Israel has taken too long, and that its long-term efforts in Lebanon endanger the peace agreement between the US and Iran.

– Now Bibi (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, editor's note) must become more responsible when it comes to Lebanon. Too many people are being killed, and you don't need to demolish an entire apartment building every time you look for someone.

However, the agreement can survive even if Israel continues to attack Lebanon, Trump believes.

Experts: Lebanon the most difficult issue if the agreement is to hold

The Lebanon issue is the biggest pitfall when it comes to the peace agreement between the US and Iran. That's what Aron Lund, an analyst at the Swedish National Defence Research Institute (FOI), tells TT.

- If this is to hold, the US will need to devote time to Lebanon in the future, he says.

He says that the US has the power to influence Israel when it comes to Lebanon, but also points out that the issue is not really the most important for either the US or Iran.

Middle East expert Anders Persson also highlights the Lebanon issue as the hardest nut to crack. He points out that the peace agreement does not seem to contain any agreement on Israel's attacks on southern Lebanon.

- Neither Lebanon nor Hezbollah will accept that, especially not in the long run, says Persson in SVT's Aktuellt.