'You’re F***ing Crazy...You'd Be In Prison': Trump Blasts Israel PM Netanyahu In Heated Call Over Lebanon Strikes

Washington: US President Donald Trump lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a heated telephone conversation on Monday over Israel’s escalating military campaign in Lebanon, holding the Israeli leader responsible for generating global animosity towards his nation, as per reports. 

According to reports, the US leader labeled Netanyahu "crazy" during the call and criticized him for being ungrateful.

Citing US officials and another source familiar with the discussion, the report stated that Trump also blocked Israel's plan to strike Beirut, warning the Israeli leader that threatening to bomb the Lebanese capital would only increase Israel's global isolation.

What was the call about?

Reportedly, Trump accused Netanyahu of alienating Israel globally and undermining U.S. diplomatic initiatives involving Iran. Trump also asserted that his support during the Israeli leader's corruption trial had been instrumental in keeping him out of prison.

According to two US officials and an additional source familiar with the conversation, Trump labeled the Israeli leader "crazy" and criticized him for taking actions without considering the repercussions.

A US official briefed on the call quoted Trump as saying: “You’re f***ing crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your a**. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this."

Prior to the call, Trump was reportedly aware that Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia based in Lebanon, had been firing on Israel and that Tel Aviv required the means to defend itself. However, sources indicated that Trump felt Netanyahu’s recent actions had become disproportionately escalatory.

Israel's Military Operations in Lebanon

Beyond the threats against Beirut, Israel has broadened its ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Reports indicate that Trump was angered by Netanyahu’s decision to escalate in Lebanon, viewing it as a threat to his ongoing negotiations with Iran.

According to U.S. sources, the president expressed concern over the potential for high civilian casualties in Lebanon and objected to the Israeli strategy of destroying entire buildings to target a single Hezbollah commander.

Following the call, an Israeli official confirmed that the country has shelved plans to strike Hezbollah targets within Beirut.

This is not the first instance of friction between the two leaders. Trump and Netanyahu share a complex, decades-long relationship defined by both public displays of solidarity and significant private tension. While they have navigated strained conversations in the past, they have consistently maintained close coordination on issues such as Iran.

However, reports suggest this was one of the most contentious calls between the two since Trump returned to office in January of last year.

No Israeli troops in Beirut

In the wake of the diplomatic showdown, Trump took to social media to outline the immediate fallout of his intervention. 

In a post on Truth Social, the US President announced that Netanyahu had "turned his Troops around" after he explicitly asked the Israeli leader "not to go into a major raid of Beirut". 

Demonstrating his intent to keep the broader Middle East diplomatic track alive despite the friction, Trump wrote in a subsequent post that talks were continuing "at a rapid pace" with Iran.

Later, Netanyahu also confirmed the conversation but cast it less as a restraint and more as a warning, saying he told Trump that Tel Aviv would strike targets in Beirut if Hezbollah's attacks did not stop. The Israeli military will continue “to operate as planned” in southern Lebanon, Netanyahu added.

Ceasefire since mid-April

Although both sides have been under a ceasefire since mid-April, Hezbollah resumed its attacks following Israeli strikes in Lebanon that Israel described as acts of self-defense. 

This escalation poses a significant challenge to the ongoing negotiations for extending the ceasefire in the Iran war, as Tehran is pushing for any potential agreement to include Lebanon. 

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