U.S. President Donald Trump pledged support for Lebanon’s path toward economic recovery and regional peace, while sharply criticizing Iran and Hezbollah for what he described as decades of destruction across the Middle East.

Speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, Trump said his administration stood ready to assist Lebanon in achieving “a future of economic development and peace with its neighbors.”

“Lebanon has been endlessly victimized by Hezbollah and Iran,” Trump declared, accusing the Tehran-backed group of “looting the Lebanese state” and bringing "misery" to the country.

The U.S. president expressed strong support for recent political developments in Beirut, saying that President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have brought about “the first real change in decades” toward a more constructive relationship between Lebanon and the United States.

Trump described Iran as “the most destructive force in the Middle East,” blaming it for widespread instability and human suffering.

“The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran, which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen and beyond,” Trump told participants at the summit, which gathered government officials and business leaders to explore new economic partnerships between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

Trump suggested that instead of fueling regional chaos, Iran should have focused on development and improving the lives of its own citizens.

“Iran could have built a future of progress. Instead, it chose destruction,” he said.

While much of his address focused on broader regional dynamics, Trump repeatedly returned to Lebanon, casting the country as a victim of external interference and mismanagement by Hezbollah. He emphasized that only through meaningful reforms and strengthened international partnerships could Lebanon begin to recover from its deepening crises.

“The United States is committed to helping Lebanon overcome its challenges,” he said, reiterating Washington’s willingness to support reform-minded leadership in Beirut.