Trump Claims Israel and Hezbollah Agree to Stop Fighting

President Trump receives PM Netanyahu at the White House. (Twitter/@netanyahu)

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel agreed to stop fighting, adding that talks with Iran were going well after seeming to reach an impasse over Israel's attacks in Lebanon.

President Trump said on social media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised not to send troops to the southern outskirts of Beirut as threatened, while Hezbollah had agreed "all firing will stop."

His comments came after Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had suspended dialogue with the mediator in protest at Israel's expanded offensive in Lebanon against Iran's ally, Hezbollah.

"I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, from Israel, and no troops will be going to Beirut, and any troops that were on the way have been sent home," Trump wrote, launching Al Arabiya (2/6).

"Likewise, through high-level representatives, I had very good conversations with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all firing would be stopped - that Israel would not attack them, and they would not attack Israel," he continued.

In a separate post a few minutes later, Trump said that "talks continue, fast, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this issue!"

Meanwhile, Netanyahu later said he told Trump that his country would attack Beirut if Hezbollah did not stop attacking Israel.

"I spoke tonight with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and citizens, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut," Netanyahu said, according to a statement released by his office.

"Our position on this remains unchanged. At the same time, (the Israeli military) will continue to operate according to plan in southern Lebanon," he added.

Separately, the Lebanese Embassy in Washington also issued a statement, broadcast by the Lebanese Presidency, saying that Hezbollah had accepted a US proposal for a "joint cessation of hostilities" with Israel. The plan would begin with a cessation of attacks in the southern outskirts of Beirut before being expanded into a national ceasefire, according to the statement.

Earlier on Monday, the US President showed mixed signals about his enthusiasm for talks to end the Iran war, which the United States and Israel launched on February 28.

Trump told CNBC shortly before his Truth Social post, "I don't care" if Iran talks fail.

"If it's over, it's over," Trump told CNBC.

"Frankly, I think the talks are starting to get very boring," he said.

Trump also told NBC News on Monday he had not been told Iran was suspending negotiations but, "I think we've talked about it too much if you want to know the truth."

"I think staying quiet would be very good, and it could last for a long time," he said.