United States President Donald Trump erupted at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call on Monday, sharply criticising Israeli escalation in Lebanon and using explicit language to press for restraint, according to an Axios report citing two US officials and a third source briefed on the conversation.
The call reportedly came as tensions surged on the Lebanese front and as Iran threatened to withdraw from negotiations with Washington over Israeli threats to bomb Beirut and its southern suburbs. Trump told Netanyahu that advancing plans to strike Beirut would further isolate “Israel” internationally and undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts, the sources said.
Saving Netanyahu’s a**
According to officials briefed on the call, Trump accused Netanyahu of ingratitude and lashed out directly, saying, “You’re fucking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
At one point, Trump reportedly shouted, “What the fuck are you doing?”
The US president also argued that while “Israel” had a right to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, the scale of its recent escalation, including civilian casualties and the destruction of residential buildings, had gone too far. One official said Trump was particularly alarmed by strikes that targeted entire homes to eliminate single Hezbollah commanders.
Netanyahu risked collapsing US deal with Iran
A US official said Trump believed Netanyahu’s decision to intensify operations risked collapsing broader negotiations with Iran and destabilising his regional diplomatic efforts. Trump also reportedly claimed he had previously helped Netanyahu politically, including during his corruption trial, and warned that continued escalation would deepen “Israel’s” global isolation.
Following the call, Israeli officials told Axios that plans to strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut had been dropped, though “Israel” maintained that operations in southern Lebanon would continue. Netanyahu, for his part, later issued a statement reiterating that “Israel” would strike Beirut if Hezbollah continues to target the occupied territories.
The exchange underscores growing strain between Washington and Tel Aviv amid escalating violence in Lebanon and fragile US-led diplomatic efforts tied to Iran negotiations. According to Axios sources, the latest memorandum under discussion between the US and Iran includes provisions aimed at ending hostilities in Lebanon, a point of contention that has triggered repeated tensions between Trump and Netanyahu.
