JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Donald Trump in a May 23 phone call that Israel would preserve its freedom to respond to threats in Lebanon, an Israeli source said, as Washington reported progress in talks with Iran over a possible agreement.
Trump said an emerging memorandum of understanding, reportedly brokered with Pakistan’s involvement, would largely reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the waterway was effectively closed earlier this year amid hostilities between the U.S., Israel and Iran. Iran’s Fars news agency said the draft would bar U.S. and allied attacks on Iran and its partners in exchange for Iran refraining from preemptive strikes.
The Israeli source, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu stressed Israel’s right to act “in all arenas, including Lebanon,” and that Trump reiterated support for that stance. Israel has sent forces into Lebanon to confront the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, and prominent politician Benny Gantz warned that accepting a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of a deal with Iran would be a strategic mistake.
U.S. officials are keeping Israel informed of negotiations, the source said. Trump, the source added, insisted he would press for dismantling Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of enriched uranium, and would not sign a final agreement without those conditions being met. Trump later described his call with Netanyahu as having gone “very well” on Truth Social.