President Donald Trump said Tuesday that toppling the Iranian regime was never his objective, but acknowledged it is happening nonetheless, according to his remarks reported by Israeli media. Trump also said he told Israel he did not like the Beirut strike, and that Netanyahu needs to be 'more responsible' regarding Lebanon.
President Donald Trump, speaking with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, addressed the situation in Iran and Lebanon, offering a series of remarks that both acknowledged and distanced himself from the regional dynamics. According to his statements as carried by Israeli media, Trump asserted that regime change in Iran 'was never a goal' of his administration but conceded that 'it is happening — now they are behaving rationally.'
The comments mark the president's most explicit acknowledgment of a shift in Tehran's posture since the escalation of Israeli operations in the region. This follows earlier statements in which Trump predicted regime change in Iran, reported by The Zioneer on June 11, and subsequent remarks in which he expressed displeasure with Israel's June 8 strike in Beirut, saying the operation was not coordinated with Washington.
Trump's latest remarks also touched on the Beirut operation directly, saying he told Israel he did not like the strike and that 'if Israel can't do the job without killing everyone, Syria should do it.' He added that Prime Minister Netanyahu 'needs to be more responsible when it comes to Lebanon.' The president said he is not disappointed in Netanyahu.
The remarks reinforce the administration's ambivalent posture: publicly critical of specific Israeli operations while rhetorically supportive of the regional shift against Iran. The Zioneer has previously reported on Trump's request that Iran not retaliate for the Beirut strike, and his anger over the attack in central Lebanon. The wider diplomatic and military picture remains fluid.
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