Trump Claims IDF Control in Lebanon Despite Israeli Rebuff
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- Trump told Axios he can "control Israel from attacking Lebanon," saying "they have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say" because of his withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and his authorization of strikes on Iran's nuclear sites during the 12-day war last June.
- Israel agreed to stop attacking Beirut in response to US anger but kept troops in a large southern Lebanon buffer zone, appearing to violate the US-Iran deal's requirement that all military operations in Lebanon cease.
- The US-Iran deal signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian aims to end the conflict that began February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, calling for cessation of fighting on all fronts including Lebanon, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a 60-day nuclear negotiation period.
- Iran re-closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday in response to Israel's continued Lebanon presence, after US officials privately asked Israel to withdraw its forces and were rebuffed — directly contradicting Trump's claim of leverage.
- A separate Israel-Hezbollah truce ostensibly began at 4 p.m. local time Friday, but both sides continued exchanging fire over the weekend with each blaming the other for violations.
- A Channel 12 poll published Thursday found only 13% of Israelis trust Trump to look out for the Jewish state's interests while 71% do not, and 52% believe Netanyahu's conduct harmed Israeli interests in the US-Iran agreement.
Why it matters: Trump's claim of control over IDF actions is directly contradicted by events the article itself documents: Israel rebuffed private US requests to withdraw from Lebanon, Iran retaliated by re-closing the Strait of Hormuz, and a Channel 12 poll shows only 13% of Israelis trust Trump to look out for their interests. The gap between the president's public posture and his actual leverage shapes how seriously adversaries and allies read his threats.
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