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UNITED States President Donald Trump has claimed a diplomatic breakthrough in the widening Middle East conflict, saying Hezbollah has agreed through intermediaries to cease attacks on Israel while Israel has pledged not to expand military operations into Beirut.
The announcement came as Washington seeks to prevent the war from spreading further across the region, with Lebanon emerging as the most volatile front beyond the direct confrontation involving Iran.
Trump said he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and separately engaged with Hezbollah through undisclosed intermediaries, resulting in commitments aimed at preventing a broader conflict.
"I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Reuters cited Trump writing on Truth Social.
"Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop."
If confirmed, the contact would represent an unprecedented development, as no sitting American president has previously communicated with Hezbollah, either directly or through intermediaries. The Iran-backed Lebanese movement is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States.
A Lebanese official told Reuters that Hezbollah had conveyed its position to Washington through Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, indicating a willingness to halt attacks on northern Israel provided Israel refrains from striking Beirut and its surrounding suburbs.
The reported understanding comes amid growing fears that hostilities along the Israeli-Lebanese border could spiral into a full-scale war.
Since March, Hezbollah has launched rockets and drones towards Israel in support of its ally Iran, triggering sustained Israeli military operations across Lebanon.
The violence has displaced more than 1.2 million people through a combination of air strikes and evacuation orders, making it the largest regional spillover from the Iran conflict.
Trump's comments also highlighted continued uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts with Tehran.
Earlier reports from Iranian state news agency Tasnim suggested Iran had suspended indirect negotiations with the United States following Israeli military advances deeper into southern Lebanon.
However, Trump dismissed suggestions that the diplomatic channel had collapsed.
"Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump said in a separate Truth Social post.
In interviews with American media organisations, the president said Washington had received no formal notification that Iran intended to halt discussions.
"They haven't informed us of that," Trump said during an interview with NBC News.
While maintaining that negotiations remained active, Trump suggested he would not be concerned if communication between the two sides temporarily ceased.
"I think we've been talking too much if you want to know the truth. I think going silent would be very good, and that could be for a long time," he told NBC.
He also stressed that any interruption in negotiations would not automatically trigger direct military action by the United States against Iran.
Trump said the existing American blockade of Iranian ports would remain in force regardless of the status of diplomatic talks.
In a separate interview with CNBC, he appeared even less concerned about the future of negotiations.
"I don’t care if they’re over, honestly ... I couldn’t care less," CNBC quoted him as saying.
The mixed messaging reflected the fluid nature of diplomatic efforts as military developments continue to reshape conditions on the ground.
Israeli forces have intensified operations in southern Lebanon in recent days, with the military announcing that troops had seized the strategically significant Beaufort Castle and a nearby ridge overlooking key areas of the border region.
The advance followed one of the heaviest barrages of Hezbollah rocket fire towards northern Israel since an April ceasefire, prompting school closures and emergency restrictions across parts of northern Israel.
Despite Trump's claims of progress, the situation remains highly fragile, with fighting continuing on multiple fronts and uncertainty persisting over whether diplomatic channels can prevent a wider regional confrontation involving Israel, Hezbollah and Iran. - June 2, 2026
