Washington, June 2: U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call after Israel intensified its military operations in Lebanon, claiming it was targeting Hezbollah.
According to U.S. news outlet Axios, Trump was angered by the escalation and used unusually harsh language while speaking with Netanyahu on Monday. Following the conversation, Israel reportedly shelved plans for a strike in Beirut.
Citing two senior U.S. officials and another source familiar with the call, Axios reported that Trump was visibly furious from the outset.
“What are you doing?” Trump reportedly shouted as the conversation began.
According to the report, Trump went on to tell Netanyahu: “Are you crazy? What have you done? If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail right now. I’m the one protecting you. Everybody hates you, and because of that, many people are starting to dislike Israel as well.”
One U.S. official quoted by Axios said Trump also warned that carrying out the planned strike on Beirut would further isolate Israel internationally.
After the call, Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that negotiations with Iran were continuing at a rapid pace.
Netanyahu, however, said in a statement after the conversation that he had informed Trump Israel would continue striking targets in Beirut unless Hezbollah stopped attacks against Israel. He also made clear that Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon would continue.
“Our position remains unchanged,” Netanyahu said.
A U.S. official familiar with the call told Axios that Netanyahu responded to Trump’s criticism by saying, “Okay. Everything is fine. Make sure everything is managed.”
The call came on the same day Iran warned that it could abandon ongoing talks with the United States because of Israeli actions in Lebanon. During the conversation, Trump reportedly accused Netanyahu of being ungrateful for U.S. support.
While Trump acknowledges Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, the report says he believes Netanyahu has recently escalated military tensions too aggressively.
Trump is also said to be concerned about civilian casualties in Lebanon and has reportedly disagreed with Israel’s practice of destroying entire buildings to target Hezbollah commanders.
The two leaders have clashed before, particularly over Iran. Trump favors pursuing a diplomatic agreement with Iran as long as negotiations remain possible, while Netanyahu has consistently pushed for stronger military action.
Tensions between the two reportedly increased two weeks ago when Trump prepared for a major strike on Iran but ultimately decided against it. Netanyahu was said to be dissatisfied with that decision.
Israel was also reportedly unhappy when a ceasefire announced following military action on February 28 was reached without prior consultation with Israeli leaders.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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