President Trump said during his White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that he expects more countries to join the Abraham Accords soon, and described Iran as 'desperate' to meet with the US but said Washington is not interested until Tehran takes meaningful steps. He also reiterated plans for dismantling Hezbollah and addressed the Houthi threat.
President Donald Trump, during his White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday evening, described Iran as "desperate" to meet with the United States but said Washington will not engage until Tehran takes "meaningful steps." The remark, reported just before 18:54 Jerusalem, adds a new dimension to the ongoing meeting, which has already produced several statements on the Abraham Accords, Hezbollah, and Iran.
The first reports from the meeting emerged at 18:17 Jerusalem, when Trump predicted many more countries would join the Abraham Accords soon and said there are "well-built plans" to dismantle Hezbollah, according to Channel 14. Minutes later, at 18:28, The Zioneer confirmed the remarks. By 18:45, Trump had threatened to strike Iran's Mount Makosh site and stated he is capable of speaking with Hezbollah. The latest comment on Iran's desperation continues the pattern of conditional US engagement.
The Zioneer has previously reported on Trump's evolving stance on Lebanon and Iran. On June 18, Trump urged a "softer touch" in Lebanon during negotiations, and on June 21, he threatened "very hard" strikes on Iran if Hezbollah continues to cause trouble. Earlier, on June 17, Trump said Syria would be happy to handle Hezbollah, and the Lebanese president was expected to visit Washington.
It remains unclear which countries Trump expects to join the Abraham Accords, and no timeline was provided. The conditions for US-Iran talks also remain unspecified, beyond the requirement for "meaningful steps" from Tehran.
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