U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly berated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call on Monday, calling him "crazy" and accusing him of being ungrateful over Israel's military operation in Lebanon, according to two U.S. officials and a source who spoke to Axios.
Trump's reported outburst
During the call, Trump allegedly told Netanyahu that he had kept him out of prison, referring to his support during Netanyahu's corruption trial. "You're f***ing 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," Trump reportedly said. At another point, a source said the U.S. president was "pissed" and yelled: "What the f*** are you doing?"
The call came after Netanyahu ordered the Israeli Defence Forces to attack Hezbollah targets in the Dahiyeh district in Beirut. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strikes, stating that they violate a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran agreed upon on April 7. "The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon," Araghchi wrote on X. "Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation."
Positive portrayal on social media
Despite the reported tension, Trump portrayed the call positively on social media. He wrote: "I had a conversation with Bibi Netanyahu today, asking him not to go into a major raid of Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi!" Trump also claimed to have spoken with Hezbollah representatives, stating that "they agreed to stop shooting at Israel, and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them. Let's see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!"
Netanyahu later confirmed the call, stating that he told Trump "that if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and citizens — Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut." He added that the Israeli Defence Forces "will continue to operate as planned" in southern Lebanon.
