April 16, 2026 | 06:12 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday night that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak directly to each other on Thursday, April 16, 2026, for the first time in about three decades.
"Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, as reported by Anadolu.
However, Aljazeera journalists stated that a Lebanese official confirmed that there is no information available about the possibility of contact between the leaders of Lebanon and Israel.
"No further details have emerged either about a possible second meeting of ambassadors in Washington – as hinted in Trump tweets," journalist Zeina Khodr wrote in a social media post.
She described the U.S. president's statement as "controversial".
“This is really a taboo in Lebanon for a Lebanese leader and Israeli leader to speak at a time that both countries are still technically at war, at a time that Israel continues to attack the country,” she said.
This announcement follows a meeting on Tuesday at the U.S. State Department in Washington.
The meeting was attended by Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio alongside U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, U.S. Department of State advisor Michael Needham, and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz.
Hezbollah group was not represented in the meeting.
Trump stated last week that he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce attacks on Lebanon and was told that Israel would "scale back" operations.
Netanyahu said on Wednesday that, despite the discussions held, he had ordered the military to expand the invasion into southern Lebanon, towards the east.
Lebanon was dragged into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran on March 2, after Hezbollah, allied with Tehran, fired rockets at Israel.
Hezbollah claimed the attack as a response to the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by Israel on the first day of the war, February 28, as well as the almost daily ceasefire violations by Israel in Lebanon since November 2024.
Since then, Israeli forces have killed over 2,000 people in Lebanon and caused approximately 1.2 million people to flee. Last Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes on hundreds of targets in 10 minutes killed at least 350 people, almost entirely Lebanese civilians.
Israeli military has also launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, attempting to seize more territory and create what it calls a "buffer zone."
Read: Hezbollah Rocket Attack Injures 5 Israeli Soldiers in Lebanon
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Can Trump Get a Better Iran Deal than Obama?
5 jam lalu
Donald Trump has said he can strike a "better" deal than Barack Obama.
Iran Warns It Will Block Red Sea If US Maintains Hormuz Blockade
6 jam lalu
Iran threatens to block the Red Sea in response to the ongoing US naval blockade, stating it would be a 'prelude' to breaking the ceasefire.
Trump Says China Has Agreed Not to Supply Weapons to Iran
9 jam lalu
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China had agreed not to supply weapons to Iran, citing assurances he said were conveyed by Xi Jinping.
South Africa Names New US Ambassador Amid Tense Trump Ties
20 jam lalu
South Africa has appointed a prominent Afrikaner politician, Roelf Meyer, to the ambassadorial role in Washington.
Trump and Meloni Clash Over Pope Leo XIV and Iran
1 hari lalu
US President Trump criticizes Italian PM Giorgia Meloni over her refusal to join the Iran conflict and her support for Pope Leo XIV.
Fact Check: Donald Trump Did Not Mention Sunni-Shia in Indonesia Over Iran
1 hari lalu
Tempo's fact-check team found no evidence that Donald Trump mentioned Sunni and Shia groups in Indonesia regarding support for Iran.
Trump: Iran Talks Could Resume in Two Days
1 hari lalu
US President Trump shares about the possibility of resuming talks with Iran, which he mentioned could happen within two days in Pakistan.
Spanish PM: Strong Ties with China in Europe's Interest
1 hari lalu
Spain has been one of Europe's loudest voices calling for expanding trade with China and treating it as a strategic ally.
China Says US Blockade in Strait of Hormuz Will Not Solve Crisis
2 hari lalu
China asserts that the US move to block ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz after failed negotiations in Islamabad will not resolve the issues.
Iranian President Condemns Trump's Insult Towards Pope Leo XIV
2 hari lalu
President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, condemns the insult made by the President of the United States (US), Donald Trump, towards Pope Leo XIV.
