Trump’s desperation for a “deal” embarrasses the US and endangers Israel

On Sunday, June 14, the IDF struck a Hezbollah command center in the suburbs of Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood, in direct response to the launch of aerial targets toward Israeli territory.

According to the IDF, the facility was used to plan and advance terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers operating in southern Lebanon. Precise munitions and aerial surveillance were used prior to the strike to reduce the risk of civilian harm. Ali Moussa Dakdouk, a senior Hezbollah commander wanted for the 2007 killing of five US soldiers, was eliminated in the strike, as indicated by Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.

Following the Beirut raid, Iran immediately threatened a missile retaliation against Israel, and US President, Donald Trump, once again complained about the IDF attacking Hezbollah:

“This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a peace deal with Iran. Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured or killed and should not disrupt this important process. We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down. There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel…This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!” , Trump said in a post on Truth social media.

Trump later added during a call with Axios: “Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that.”

In short, Israel has the right to a defense but doesn’t have to defend itself from Hezbollah attacks because Trump desperately needs to sign an agreement that will extricate him from the Iranian quagmire it got itself into by interrupting a war that the US was winning. Trump even went so far as to describe the missiles launched by Hezbollah as “meaningless,” as if potential Israeli casualties could be overlooked in order to reach the much-desired “deal.”

Trump should rather thank Israel for doing the job that the United States should have carried out: eliminating Dakdouk.

This is certainly not the first time that Trump, following attacks by Iran and Hezbollah, has tried to stop Israel from reacting, solely to safeguard a very hypothetical agreement sought with such an evident desperation, that it has created a true paradox.

Trump has in fact managed to transform a war that was on the verge of being won, after having committed the American armed forces to a joint military campaign with Israel, into a quasi-diplomatic defeat, bringing a regime that should in theory have been on its knees to the negotiating table, granting it a position of strength and going so far as to chase the regime to reach an agreement.

On June 12, Trump even went so far as to say that there has been a regime change in Iran: “I really believe it’s a regime change because I find these people to be much more rational than the people that are no longer with us. We knocked out the first team”.

Indeed, an inappropriate statement, to say the least, considering that the regime is continuing to massacre opponents at full speed, as reported by various human rights organizations. Those same people who were waiting for that help that Trump promised “on its way” and never came.

Trump’s wishful thinking even made him announce a substantial deal to be signed on Sunday, June 14, in Europe. However, as already occurred on multiple occasions, the Iranian regime denied.

Since March 2026, there have been multiple separate announcements made by Trump, often referring to the same evolving negotiations rather than distinct finalized agreements:

• May 20, 2026 – Trump said negotiations were in the “final stages” and that a deal could be reached soon.
• May 23, 2026 – Trump said the framework of an Iran deal was “largely negotiated” and that details would be announced shortly.
• May 24, 2026 – He again discussed the deal publicly, while saying there was “no rush” and that negotiations should continue until an agreement was signed.
• May 28, 2026 – Reuters reported a provisional U.S.–Iran agreement extending a ceasefire, pending Trump’s approval; administration officials presented it as a major step toward a broader deal.
• May 31–June 1, 2026 – Trump stated that Iran “really wants to make a deal” and continued describing negotiations positively.
• June 2, 2026 – Trump said negotiations were continuing and suggested progress toward an agreement.
• June 8, 2026 – Trump said Israel and Iran were looking at an immediate ceasefire and that final peace negotiations were proceeding.
• June 11–12, 2026 – Trump said a peace agreement was close and hoped it could be signed soon, though Iranian officials said no final decision had yet been made.
• June 14, 2026 – Trump said a peace deal with Iran could be signed imminently; Reuters reported details of a draft memorandum of understanding being discussed.

It is evident that Trump is deeply concerned about the upcoming midterm elections and is attempting to extricate himself from a situation of his own making by interrupting a military campaign that had been yielding strong results. His credibility has been undermined, as personal and electoral considerations appear to have taken precedence over military strategy and what many view as the national interest. In doing so, he has broken the expectations of Iranians who hoped for regime change, while also seeking to restrain Israel from defending itself and putting an end to an existential threat.

By doing so, Trump is not only interfering in the defense decisions of Israel, a sovereign country at war, but he is also seriously embarrassing the United States in front of the entire world, to the immense pleasure of Russia and China, who are watching very closely.