U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche listen, after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to the power of federal judges by restricting their ability to grant broad legal relief in cases as the justices acted in a legal fight over President Donald Trump's bid to limit birthright citizenship, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington D.C., June 27, 2025. (Credit: Ken Cedeno/Reuters.)
At a White House press conference on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a string of pointed remarks on the Middle East, taking direct aim at Iran’s leadership while expressing strong support for Lebanon.
In response to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s dismissal of recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump said bluntly: “You got beat to hell.”
He continued: “You are a man of great faith, a man who is very respected in your country. You must tell the truth: you got beat to hell. And Israel got demolished too — they both got demolished.”
Trump framed the recently agreed ceasefire between Israel and Iran as a necessary move: “It was the right moment to end the war.”
Turning to Lebanon, Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment:
“The United States is with Lebanon until the end.” He praised Lebanon as a “great country, with brilliant people” and highlighted its legacy in education:
“It’s a country known for its teachers and one that has an incredible history,” he said. “We hope to bring it back to what it once was.”
He added that his administration would “try to restore order in Beirut,” referencing growing concerns about Hezbollah’s influence in the country.
The remarks come as tensions continue to simmer across the region, with Lebanon increasingly pulled into the broader conflict dynamic.
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