Israeli Defense Chief Says Trump Pressure Prevented Full Hezbollah Offensive

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that pressure from President Donald Trump prevented Israel from pursuing a broader military campaign aimed at completely eliminating Hezbollah in Lebanon.

According to Katz, Israel‘s close relationship with the United States came with “certain constraints” that influenced military decision-making during the conflict.

Katz claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resisted American pressure through multiple conversations with President Trump regarding Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

“Iran constantly pressured the United States to pressure Israel, in order to stop this,” Katz said during the briefing, according to reports. He added that Israel had been conducting extensive military operations throughout Lebanon at the time.

Katz argued that Hezbollah’s deteriorating military position led the group to seek assistance from Iran and push for linking the fighting in Lebanon to the broader US-Iran cease-fire discussions.

According to the defense minister, Netanyahu ultimately agreed to limit some aspects of Israeli operations in Beirut while continuing targeted strikes against Hezbollah positions.

Katz suggested that the United States viewed reducing tensions in Lebanon as important to advancing diplomatic efforts with Iran and negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

He described the linkage between the Lebanon conflict and broader regional diplomacy as an American priority designed to preserve the possibility of negotiations with Iran.

Under the current arrangement, Israeli forces remain deployed in parts of southern Lebanon while operations against Hezbollah continue in a more limited form.

The remarks highlight reported tensions between Israeli officials who favored a more aggressive military approach and the Trump administration’s efforts to prevent the conflict from expanding into a wider regional war involving Iran and its allies.