Trump Says Lebanese State at ‘Disadvantage’ in Confronting Hezbollah

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday stopped short of endorsing renewed Israeli military action against Hezbollah, saying Washington would “see about that” as questions mount over the group’s refusal to disarm.

Speaking to reporters during a press appearance alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida, Trump said the Lebanese state faces inherent constraints in confronting Hezbollah, which wields significant political and military influence inside the country.

“The Lebanese government is at a bit of a disadvantage with Hezbollah,” Trump said, adding that the group “has been behaving badly.”

Asked directly whether Israel should strike Hezbollah again over its failure to relinquish its weapons, the U.S. president declined to give a definitive answer, repeating that the situation was under review.

Hezbollah is formally expected to disarm by the end of 2025 under international commitments, but the group has repeatedly rejected calls to surrender its arsenal, arguing that its weapons are necessary to confront Israel. 

“We’ll see what happens,” he said, when pressed on possible consequences.

The president was also asked about the risk of a broader regional escalation, including the prospect of another conflict with Iran. Trump declined to speculate on how close such a scenario might be, saying, “I don’t want to say that.”

He added, however, that Washington was monitoring Tehran’s actions closely.

“Iran may be behaving badly,” Trump said, cautioning that while this had not yet been confirmed, any such behavior would carry “very powerful” consequences.