Trump lashes out at Israeli PM Netanyahu over Beirut strike, says US-Iran peace deal in 'a few hours’

US President Donald Trump on Sunday lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Beirut attack and claimed that it had temporarily delayed progress on a potential US-Iran peace deal, which, he said, remains on course to be signed within the next few hours, according to Axios.

He stated, "it is so bad -- I couldn't believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal.

"It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now," Trump told the Axios news outlet in a phone call.

Tehran has consistently maintained that any agreement aimed at ending the war must also address the parallel conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been carrying out operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, according to AFP.

However, after several days of growing optimism surrounding a possible deal, Sunday's strike in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, led Iran's chief negotiator to question the value of continuing the peace discussions.

Reacting to the attack, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that it "showed that the United States either lacks the will to implement its commitments or lacks the ability to do so".

He further stated, "If you do not have the will or the ability to fulfil your commitments, then there is no point in talking about continuing down this path."

Trump, who had repeatedly suggested during weeks of negotiations that an agreement with Iran was nearly finalised, said after the attack that a deal remained within reach and urged all parties not to "blow it".

In a social media post, he mentioned, “We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down.”

Referring to the strike, Trump added, "This morning's attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day," possibly alluding to his expectation that the agreement could be signed on Sunday, his 80th birthday.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also expressed confidence that the Israeli strike would not derail progress towards an agreement.

"I do not expect" the attack to "disrupt" the negotiations, he said, adding, "From all I know, we are on track. It is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when."

The previous Israeli strike on Beirut's suburbs had triggered one of the most serious breaches of the April ceasefire, prompting Iran to launch a retaliatory missile barrage, followed by Israeli counterstrikes.

What did Iran say?

Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Jafar Asadi warned on Sunday that the latest Israeli attack "will not go unanswered".

In a sign that diplomatic efforts remained alive, Iran's president said on Sunday that the country's top security body continued to back negotiations despite opposition from hardliners.

"The Supreme National Security Council has concluded that the path of dialogue should be pursued," President Masoud Pezeshkian said, while emphasising that the council was responsible for "decisions regarding war and negotiations".

Israel after Beirut strike

Meanwhile, as per AFP, Israel's military said it was "preparing for potential fire toward the territory of the state of Israel in the coming hours".

“Following the IDF strike in Beirut, the IDF is preparing for potential fire toward the territory of the State of Israel in the coming hours,” the military said, without specifically mentioning where the attack was likely to originate.