WANA (Jun 16) – U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking alongside Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit, addressed a range of issues including Iran, Lebanon, and the war in Ukraine. He claimed that Washington is not pursuing regime change in Iran while simultaneously reiterating warnings regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.

 

Trump said he does not believe in regime change, arguing that such policies have repeatedly failed. “I do not believe in regime change. I have seen regime changes for years, and they never work,” he stated.

 

The U.S. president also described Iran’s current leadership as “very rational” and said working with Iranian representatives had been “a pleasure.” According to Trump, the individuals involved in negotiations with the United States are “strong and intelligent people.”

 

At the same time, he renewed his warnings against any Iranian effort to obtain nuclear weapons, saying Tehran would face “unimaginable consequences” if it pursued such a path. His remarks came despite Iran’s longstanding insistence that it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

 

Trump further claimed that an agreement between Washington and Tehran has entered a “second phase,” which he suggested would be easier to implement. He also repeated an earlier assertion that U.S. forces had destroyed a site in Iran that allegedly contained nuclear dust.

 

Criticism of Israel’s Conduct in Lebanon

Turning to Lebanon, Trump voiced dissatisfaction with Israel’s handling of its conflict with Hezbollah. He said he was unhappy with both Israel’s approach toward Lebanon and its campaign against Hezbollah.

 

The U.S. president argued that Israel’s military operations should have been concluded more quickly, describing the conflict as an increasingly prolonged process.

 

Trump also criticized an Israeli strike on Beirut, saying he had informed Israeli officials that he did not approve of the attack. Referring to his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he added that Netanyahu must act more responsibly regarding Lebanon.

 

In one of his most controversial remarks, Trump declared: “Without me, there would be no Israel.”

 

Proposal to Give Syria Responsibility for Hezbollah

Trump also revealed that he had suggested Israel allow Syria to take responsibility for dealing with Hezbollah, arguing that Damascus might be better positioned to handle the issue.

 

He further criticized Israeli military actions in Syria, saying residential buildings should not be destroyed in pursuit of a single individual, as many civilians live in those structures and not all of them are affiliated with Hezbollah.

 

Washington’s Attention Shifts from Iran to Ukraine

In the final part of his remarks, Trump addressed the war between Russia and Ukraine, acknowledging the heavy human losses suffered by Ukraine.

 

He indicated that Washington’s foreign policy focus is now shifting from the Middle East toward efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

 

“Special attention will now be directed toward Ukraine. We were focused on Iran, but that issue will now move to second place,” Trump said.

 

The U.S. president also announced another meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged to do everything possible to help bring the war between Moscow and Kyiv to an end.