On the 29th Israel defense minister Katz said U.S. pressure and a U.S. policy of
linking Iran and Lebanon forced the Israel Defense Forces to alter its military
strategy toward Hezbollah. Katz said that after President Trump chose to "bind"
the Iran and Lebanon situations the IDF stopped bombing Beirut; he described the
linkage as aligned with U.S. strategic interests and an "external constraint"
Israel accepts to preserve the partnership. Katz added that Prime Minister
Netanyahu spoke repeatedly with Trump before the U.S. and Iran signed a related
memorandum of understanding, and that Washington applied "strong pressure" which
produced the linkage.
