Trump Condemns Israeli Strike in Lebanon, Complicating Iran Peace Talks

President Trump condemned a deadly strike carried out by Israel in Lebanon Sunday morning, further complicating negotiations for a deal to end the war between the U.S. and Iran.

"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," Trump wrote in a post on the social media platform Truth Social."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!"

The strike left 3 dead and 15 wounded in Dahiyeh – a suburb of Beirut and stronghold of the Iran-backed Lebanese militia group, Hezbollah – according to the National News Agency, Lebanon's government-run news outlet. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was responding to drone attacks launched by Hezbollah into northern Israel on Sunday, in which no casualties were reported.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf condemned the strike.

"[Israel's] incursion into Dahiyeh has once again shown that America either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so," he wrote in a post on X. "If you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible."

Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the negotiations, which are being held in Islamabad and mediated by Pakistan, are still moving forward.

"We are on track. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," he told CBS's Margaret Brennan in an interview Sunday. "I think those talks will continue, and if Iran wants this to hold, they need to- they need to pull back Hezbollah, no doubt."

In recent days, progress on a deal to end the war in Iran appeared to be mounting, even as Iran cast doubts on the timing. But Sunday's strike on Lebanon appeared to further obstruct hopes that a deal would be signed imminently.

President Trump has asserted many times throughout the war that the countries are on the verge of an agreement, and that the Strait of Hormuz — a key global oil and gas transport route — would open soon after.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that both sides would sign the deal electronically, once finalized, followed by technical-level talks..

"We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace," Sharif said in his post.

Pakistan has been a key mediator in talks to end the war.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X: "The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer."

Trump also said on Saturday that the deal would result in the elimination of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile that could be used in a nuclear weapon, a main sticking point in negotiations. But the exact details of the agreement are not yet clear.

"At the appropriate time, when all is calm, we will go in and get the Nuclear Dust, buried deep under the powerful sunken granite mountains, thanks to our beautiful B-2 Bombers and their brilliant pilots, and downblend and destroy it, whether in Iran, or the United States," he wrote on social media.Trump followed with a vague threat: "Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn't, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!"

Trump has demonstrated continual flip-flopping between promising peace and ramping up threats against Iran. On Thursday, the president said in a post on social media that he had called off planned strikes on Iran due to "the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved."

The Group of Seven summit starts on Monday, where Trump is expected to discuss demining the Strait of Hormuz. A senior U.S. official, who briefed journalists on condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said Trump planned to meet on the G7 sidelines with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to discuss efforts to wind down the war.

G7 members Britain and France have expressed interest in assisting with demining once the conflict is paused. It was not clear how many mines are in the strait that Iran has effectively controlled since shortly after the war began, virtually shutting down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports in response.

"The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly," Trump wrote on social media Thursday.

A tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has been in place since April 7.

NPR's Carrie Kahn contributed to this story.