Trump urges restraint in Lebanon as U.S.-Iran peace process faces added strain

President Trump on Sunday urged both Israel and Hezbollah to halt further retaliatory strikes in Lebanon, saying the fighting risked undermining a U.S.-Iran effort to finalize a peace deal, according to The Washington Times.

The appeal came as the United States and Iran continue working on diplomacy aimed at reducing hostilities in the region, the newspaper reported. Trump’s message was directed at preventing additional escalation while negotiations remain in progress, the report said.

In the days leading up to Sunday’s statement, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged strikes, according to The Washington Times. The increased pace of action and response prompted concern that further strikes could widen the cycle of retaliation and complicate diplomatic efforts tied to the U.S.-Iran track.

The reported remarks underscore that Washington is seeking to keep a narrow window for diplomacy from being closed by military developments. The Washington Times said the United States is coordinating with Iran as part of the broader process to finalize a peace arrangement, with Lebanon’s cross-border violence acting as a key variable in whether that work stays on track.

The president’s call for restraint also reflects the security implications for Lebanon’s civilian population, where repeated strikes can affect neighborhoods beyond the immediate sites targeted by both sides. The Washington Times report framed the situation as one in which continuing exchanges could make it harder to stabilize the region even if negotiations advance on paper.

While details of the precise mechanism of the prospective peace deal were not included in the account, the reporting indicated that the diplomatic process is active and time-sensitive. The next steps described in the report involve the continued U.S.-Iran effort to complete the agreement and the avoidance of further retaliatory strikes during that period.

U.S. officials have in the past treated escalation control as a critical component of any diplomatic effort in high-tension theaters. In this case, The Washington Times reported Trump’s intervention as an effort to prevent additional violence from interfering with negotiations between Washington and Tehran.