President Donald Trump said on Monday that clashes between Israel and Hezbollah will stop as hostilities appeared to be escalating quickly and Iranian media reported that Tehran suspended talks with Washington over the matter.
"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. Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel," Trump said in a social media publication.
The development came after Iranian media said earlier that authorities halted talks with the U.S. over Israel's escalation in Lebanon and would activate its proxies to block the Strait of Hormuz and activate other fronts.
Tasnim news agency said Tehran and the "Resistance Front," including its allies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq will also seek to block the Bab El Mandeb Strait to "punish" Israel and its allies.
Trump said later that Iran did not inform the U.S. it was suspending talks but claimed the development was "fine" with him.
Speaking to NBC News, Trump said "I think it's fine if they're done talking." "It's an appropriate thing to say, because they're better negotiators than they are fighters," he added.
Trump went on to say that the scenario "doesn't mean we're going to go and start dropping bombs all over there" but the U.S. will maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports, preventing the country from exporting oil.
"If they don't want to talk, that's okay with me. I think it's fine. I don't particularly want to talk either. We talk too much." Trump added. He published the message about his conversation with Netanyahu shortly after.
Israeli outlet Kan News detailed that the country called off a major strike on Beirut's suburbs, largely considered to be Hezbollah's stronghold, after Trump's intervention in the phone call.
Iranian news agency IRNA, in turn, reported that Hezbollah committed to adhere to a ceasefire if Israel does so as well and withdraws from areas where troops have been moving to over the past weeks.
