The United States President Donald Trump has called for more “surgical” strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while insisting he is not demanding that the conflict be tied to ongoing peace negotiations with Iran.
Speaking in an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said he wanted Israel to adopt a more targeted military approach against the Iran-backed group.
“I’d like to see a more surgical attack on Hezbollah. I think it should be more surgical,” Trump said, according to a transcript of the interview recorded on Friday.
“I’d like to see Lebanon have a better life,” he added.
His remarks came as Israel launched fresh strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, saying the attacks were in response to cross-border assaults despite an existing ceasefire agreement that has failed to halt hostilities completely.
When asked whether Lebanon’s situation should be incorporated into a broader peace arrangement with Iran, Trump dismissed the idea.
“No, no,” he replied.
“Not at all. I’m not demanding,” he said. “I think they’d like to see it, but I’m not demanding.”
Trump has previously advocated separating the Lebanon crisis from negotiations involving Iran, while Tehran has reportedly pushed for both issues to be addressed together.
The former president also confirmed reports of a tense conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which he allegedly criticised Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon.
According to official figures, Israeli air strikes in Lebanon since fighting resumed on March 2 have killed more than 3,560 people and destroyed several buildings.
On the Israeli side, the military says 29 soldiers and one civilian contractor have died during operations in Lebanon.
The conflict escalated after Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel following the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei during the initial phase of the joint US-Israel offensive.
Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah officially took effect on April 17, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violations.
Trump also suggested that Syria could play a role in resolving the conflict, praising Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for improving ties with Washington.
“We can recommend Syria. Syria’s doing a very good job of cleaning up their act. They have a very good leader,” Trump said.
“And he would love to help.”
