Iran rejects Trump offer of ‘money,’ threatens retaliatory strike after Beirut attack

Iran asserted that the country’s military capabilities had strengthened under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Iran has reportedly rejected an offer from President Donald Trump intended to prevent retaliation for Israel’s strike on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district and is now threatening a response against Israel in the coming hours.

According to Iranian statements, Tehran dismissed a proposal from the US president and vowed to continue backing Hezbollah.

“Trump offered us money in exchange for overlooking the attack. We rejected it — we will respond very soon. We will not betray our allies,” Iran said.

The threat followed Israeli strikes in Dahiyeh that drew criticism from Trump, who had expected a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict to be signed Sunday.

As tensions mounted, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council warned that “the response is near.” Iranian officials also declared: “Our finger is on the trigger, ready to fire at the heart of the enemy,” while asserting that the regime’s military capabilities had strengthened under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that all flights in western Iran had been suspended until further notice.

In Israel, Home Front Command imposed restrictions limiting public gatherings to 5,000 people.

At the same time, hostilities along the Lebanese front continued.

An IDF soldier was moderately wounded and another lightly wounded after rockets were fired at Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon.

The military also reported impacts inside Israel and in areas where Israeli troops are deployed in southern Lebanon. Additional suspicious aerial targets were reported to have fallen near the Lebanese border.

Trump publicly criticized Israel’s operation in Beirut and expressed frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In remarks reported by Axios, Trump said Netanyahu had “no f—ing judgment.”

The president also told Fox News: “A deal will be signed within two or three hours. I told Netanyahu — what the hell are you doing?”

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that the Beirut strike “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran,” and urged restraint.

Calling on “all sides” to de-escalate, Trump wrote: “stand down … Let’s not blow it!”