Trump Criticises Israeli Strikes on Lebanon: Not Everyone in the Building is Hezbollah

United States President Donald Trump has criticised Israeli strikes in Lebanon, stating that not everyone in the apartment buildings targeted is a member of Hezbollah. Speaking as reported by Al Jazeera on Tuesday (16/6/2026), Trump said Israel has been fighting Hezbollah “for too long and too many people have been killed.” “You don’t have to knock down an apartment building every time you’re looking for someone, because there are a lot of people in those apartment buildings — and they’re not all Hezbollah members,” the US president said. He instead urged Israel to let Syria handle Hezbollah. “I suggested to Israel to let Syria handle Hezbollah because, honestly, I think they would do a better job,” Trump added. Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that in terms of negotiations, Washington and Tel Aviv are one and the same. He also warned that any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued occupation of Lebanese territory from now on would constitute a violation of the temporary agreement with the United States. “In our view, the two parties to this memorandum are the US and Israel on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other,” Araghchi said. Iran’s position since the beginning of the conflict has been that Iran and Lebanon are not separate fronts, but rather a single front. Lebanon has long been a battleground for regional and international powers. Iran lost considerable influence in the country after the last war at the end of 2024, when Hezbollah suffered a series of military setbacks. Subsequently, the balance of power in Lebanon shifted in favour of the anti-Iran camp. Araghchi said Hezbollah would continue to hold influence in Lebanon. Iran believes the memorandum of understanding includes ending the Israeli occupation of Lebanon.