US President Donald Trump has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could use a "softer touch" in Lebanon and that Iran could have its “money back” in comments made at the close of a G7 summit in France.
Netanyahu and Trump have repeatedly clashed over Israel's refusal to constrain attacks on Lebanon, where a cessation of hostilities is a key Iranian demand.
"Netanyahu happens to be a good man; gets a little excited sometimes," Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
"We have a little dispute over Lebanon. I say you can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don't have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that's from Hezbollah."
Trump added that he agreed with the description of Israel as being "the very small partner" of the United States.
Iranian money
Trump said that the US has taken "a lot of" Iranian money and will have to give it back.
"We have taken a lot of their money, and we have their money," Trump said.
"It's not our money, it's their money, and we froze it at a certain point in time. I guess we're going to have to give it back, you know, if we didn't give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again," he added.
He also said Iran would only gain access to a proposed $300 billion development fund if it complies with the terms of its agreement with Washington, warning that any violation could trigger renewed military action.
Trump also said Lebanon's president would visit the United States "very shortly", likely within the next week or two.
Iran school strike
Asked about the US strike in southern Iran on February 28 that killed more than 100 schoolchildren, Trump said the incident remained under investigation and added that "nobody did that on purpose."
Trump also said that the deal reached with Iran on Sunday could be signed "shortly".
"So, the deal we reached with Iran on Sunday will be signed shortly, tomorrow, maybe the next day," Trump said at a news conference from France as the G7 summit concludes.
He said the technical discussions on nuclear stockpiles will begin "immediately".
"We're going to start that immediately," he added.
The president also hailed the deal, which he said ends the current conflict, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, and prevents Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.
"If we didn't do this deal, we could have dropped more bombs for another three weeks, two weeks, four weeks, or two years. You would never have the Hormuz Strait open. You would never have success," Trump said.
The deal to permanently end the US-Israeli war on Iran and fully open the Strait of Hormuz, which was shut in retaliation by Tehran, was reached late Sunday.
The mediator, Pakistan, and Trump earlier said the agreement would be signed in Switzerland on Friday.
