Israel struck targets in southern Lebanon Monday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulled back from an attack on Beirut, bowing to direct pressure from President Donald Trump, according to reporting by The New York Times.
Netanyahu vowed to press Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah despite the restraint, drawing immediate concern from U.S. and regional officials tracking fragile peace negotiations with Iran.
Trump's intervention marked a rare public check on Israeli military action, with the president warning that a strike on the Lebanese capital could collapse ongoing diplomatic efforts his administration has backed.
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group operating across Lebanon's south, has been the stated target of Israeli operations stretching back months. Netanyahu framed Monday's strikes as a continuation of that campaign, not an escalation.
But analysts and diplomats told the Times that sustained strikes risk drawing Hezbollah and Iran into direct retaliation, which would effectively end any prospect of a negotiated settlement before talks reach a formal stage.
No casualty figures from Monday's strikes were immediately confirmed by independent sources reviewed by the Wail.
Talks between U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to continue this week, with Washington pressing both parties to hold to terms before a proposed framework deadline.