Trump Drops F Bombs on Cherished Ally: Report
A phone call between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday erupted into one of the most turbulent exchanges between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House, with the president openly berating the Israeli premier and demanding an immediate halt to planned military operations targeting Beirut.
The confrontation unfolded against a backdrop of rapidly deteriorating conditions across Lebanon’s northern border, where fresh Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions had already rattled the fragile architecture of U.S. diplomatic efforts with Iran.
Sources told Axios that Trump acknowledged Hezbollah had been launching attacks against Israeli forces and that Israel had a right to defend itself — but believed Netanyahu had been escalating the conflict far beyond what the circumstances warranted.
Beyond threatening Beirut, Israel had simultaneously been widening its ground operation across southern Lebanon.
One U.S. official told Axios that Trump also objected to Israeli operations in which entire buildings were knocked down to neutralize a single Hezbollah commander.
Two sources briefed on the call told Axios the exchange grew heated. A U.S. official summarized Trump’s words to Netanyahu as: “You’re f–king 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.”
A second source separately described Trump as “pissed” and said the president at one point demanded of Netanyahu directly: “What the f–k are you doing?”
That same source characterized Trump as having “steamrolled” Netanyahu throughout the call.
Per that second official, Netanyahu’s response during the exchange was: “Bibi said, ‘OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of.’”
Trump used the call to remind Netanyahu of his past support for him and warned that pressing forward with strikes on Beirut would drive Israel’s international standing even further into isolation.
Two sources told Axios that Trump specifically referenced having helped keep Netanyahu out of jail — a direct allusion to Trump’s backing during Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption proceedings.
Trump’s fury was also fueled by the threat the Israeli escalation posed to U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, which Netanyahu’s military actions were putting at serious risk of collapse.
Iranian state media announced Monday that Tehran was suspending peace talks with Washington, pointing to Israel’s strikes in Lebanon as a ceasefire violation. Trump pushed back publicly, insisting the negotiations remained active and on pace.
Shortly after the call ended, Trump posted on Truth Social: “I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back. Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri had earlier signaled Hezbollah’s readiness for a ceasefire to Trump’s administration, while the Lebanese Embassy in Washington confirmed Hezbollah accepted the U.S. proposal and stated the framework would extend to cover all Lebanese territory.
Netanyahu issued his own statement after the call — one that pointedly diverged from Trump’s characterization of the outcome.
“Tonight, I spoke with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and citizens — Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut,” the Israeli leader said. “This stance of ours remains unchanged.”
Netanyahu added: “In parallel, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon.”
Trump later told ABC News: “There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly, as you probably noticed earlier.”
Officials described Monday’s exchange as among the most contentious calls between the two leaders since Trump returned to office.
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