Donald Trump revealed that he asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce the level of attacks in Lebanon while the U.S. is trying to negotiate with Iran to find a resolution to the Middle East war.
On 9 Apr 2026 GMT+7, President Donald Trump told NBC News that he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "tone down" operations in Lebanon as the U.S. pursues a deal to end the war with Iran.
"I spoke with Bibi (Netanyahu), and he will reduce the intensity. I just think we need to be a little quieter," Trump said, adding that he believes Israel is already "scaling down" its operations in Lebanon.
Earlier on Thursday, CNN reported that President Trump asked Netanyahu to reduce attacks in Lebanon during a phone call on Wednesday and to enter negotiations with the Lebanese government about disarming Hezbollah.
Trump's remarks came as a U.S. delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance prepared to travel to Pakistan for talks on Saturday aimed at ending the war with Iran amid several disagreements.
Despite ongoing disagreements, Trump told NBC he is "very optimistic" about the peace deal expected from the talks in Islamabad this weekend, noting that Iran's leader (unnamed by Trump) appeared personally open to peace.
"They are much more reasonable," Trump told NBC. "They are agreeing to everything that needs to be agreed upon. Remember, they have been defeated, and now they have no army left at all."
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Source:cnn