Trump pushed Lebanon ceasefire on Israel after Aoun refused call without progress - report
Sources say the Lebanese leader demanded tangible steps before talks as Iran linked the ceasefire to nuclear negotiations
US President Donald Trump increased pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made clear that he would not hold direct talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without concrete progress in negotiations, two sources familiar with the matter told i24NEWS on Thursday.
Aoun conveyed the message to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior American officials. Despite Trump writing on Truth Social that a call between the two leaders was expected, Aoun declined. “There is a point to such a phone call between leaders only when there is a significant development on the ground. Without real negotiations taking place, and certainly when there is no ceasefire — I will not have a conversation with Netanyahu at this time,” Aoun said, adding that he does not rule out a future call if meaningful progress is made.
According to the sources, these developments led to a direct conversation between Trump and Aoun earlier in the day, during which the US president assured his Lebanese counterpart that “there will be a ceasefire.” An Israeli source also told i24NEWS that Trump and Netanyahu held at least one phone call during the day amid ongoing diplomatic efforts.
At the same time, Iranian officials have been pressing Washington to advance a ceasefire in Lebanon, linking it to broader talks with the United States. Senior Iranian officials conveyed through mediators in recent days that “without a ceasefire in Lebanon, there is no chance for progress in the talks between Iran and the United States.”
The message was delivered in part via Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, who is currently in Iran and maintains direct contact with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, according to the report.
An Israeli official told i24NEWS that the linkage between the Lebanese and Iranian tracks is a central concern. "This is what should be of main concern to us. The fact that Iran has managed to link the negotiations on Lebanon with the negotiations on Iran," the official said.