President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that Iran should retain ballistic missiles because other states in the region also possess them, and argued that Syria's Abu Mohammad al-Julani is better positioned to confront Hezbollah surgically, 'without knocking down buildings,' according to a report by Amit Segal (N12). The remarks continue a series of statements this week in which Trump has appeared to challenge longstanding Israeli security assumptions on both the Iranian and Lebanese fronts.
President Donald Trump further elaborated his position Wednesday evening, saying that Syria's Abu Mohammad al-Julani should handle Hezbollah 'surgically, without knocking down buildings,' as reported by Amit Segal (N12). The remark came in a string of statements throughout the evening in which Trump also argued that Iran should retain some ballistic missiles because other regional states possess them, and dismissed as 'stupid' any country that asked the US to continue bombing Iran, according to i24NEWS and Israeli media. The new comments follow a series of Trump statements this week that have challenged core Israeli security assumptions on both the Iranian and Lebanese fronts.
Earlier Wednesday evening, The Zioneer reported Trump's initial remarks on Iran's missiles — first noting the reversal of his previous demand for total disarmament, then adding the Saudi Arabia comparison and the dismissal of advisors. By Wed 19:32 Jerusalem, multiple news outlets (N12, i24NEWS, Yedioth Ahronoth) had each reported overlapping versions, with Trump also claiming that 'Israel would not exist' had he not been elected. At Wed 19:52, The Zioneer reported his view that al-Julani could handle Hezbollah 'without knocking down a building every time,' and by Wed 20:02, his dismissal of continued bombing requests as 'stupid.' The thread shows the evolution of a single, sustained round of presidential remarks, with corroboration converging across several independent sources within minutes.
The context for the remarks includes ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations that appear near signing, and active Israeli operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Trump had said Tue Jun 16 that Israel 'should have finished Hezbollah all the way and fast, but it never does,' and on Wed 19:38 Jerusalem he said he told Prime Minister Netanyahu to be 'gentler' in Lebanon. As The Zioneer reported Wed 16:26, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called the proposal that Syria handle Hezbollah 'completely ludicrous,' arguing Israel cannot rely on Damascus.
What remains open is whether Trump's statements reflect a settled policy shift or a series of evolving off-the-cuff remarks during a busy day of diplomacy. No official White House clarification has been issued, and no change in US operational posture has been announced.
12 developments
- DevelopingTrump says overnight strikes destroyed ~55% of rebuilt Iranian air defenses
- StrongTrump says Iran will halt fire on Israel for at least a week, warns of 'wipe out' if talks fail
- DevelopingAbu Salah: Iran retained most missile capabilities Trump claimed were destroyed
- DevelopingIn response to reporter, Trump says Iran 'wants a deal more than I do' — they've 'taken hits'
Source and signal
- Internal intake