According to a report by Times of Israel, on Friday April 17, 2026, US President Donald Trump escalated his public pressure on Israel on Friday, demanding a halt to its ongoing military strikes in Lebanon, while simultaneously predicting that a landmark nuclear agreement with Iran could be reached within the next 48 hours — a timeline his own aides have quietly cast doubt on.
In a phone interview with Axios, Trump delivered some of his sharpest public criticism yet of Israeli military operations, issuing a direct warning against the continued bombardment of Lebanese territory.
“Israel has to stop. They can’t continue to blow buildings up. I am not gonna allow it,” Trump said, in remarks that will likely unsettle a key American ally already navigating an intensive military campaign in Lebanon.
The unusually stern rebuke came in the same breath as Trump outlined his expectations for imminent progress on a diplomatic front with Iran, a country Israel views as its principal existential threat. Trump told Axios he believes Tehran is ready to negotiate, and that a formal meeting between delegations could happen within days.
“The Iranians want to meet. They want to make a deal. I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend. I think we will get a deal in the next day or two,” Trump stated.
Yet the optimism projected by the President stands in sharp contrast to assessments from US officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Those officials, speaking to Axios, confirmed that while some headway has been made at the table, considerable and substantive gaps between Washington and Tehran remain unresolved — a far more cautious read than the one coming from the Oval Office. Read_More…