Washington, DC: President Donald Trump launched a blistering rebuke of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tense phone call on Monday, blaming him for stoking international condemnation after recent strikes in Lebanon, Axios reported.
The exchange followed an Iranian warning that Tehran could suspend diplomatic engagement with Washington in reaction to Israel’s military actions. U.S. officials cited by Axios said Trump at one point shouted, “What the f*** are you doing?” and later described Netanyahu as “crazy,” accusing him of provoking global anger toward Israel.
US Alarm Over Methods
Officials said Trump was incensed by what he saw as an excessive Israeli response to Hezbollah attacks. He singled out strikes that demolished entire buildings to target a single Hezbollah commander and denounced threats aimed at Beirut. One official recounted part of Trump’s message: “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Netanyahu Holds Line
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying Israel’s position “remains the same.” A U.S. official, however, told Axios that Trump had “steamrolled” the prime minister, who reportedly answered, “OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of.”
Another administration official called the call one of the worst between Trump and Netanyahu since the start of the president’s second term. After the call, Trump posted on Truth Social that Netanyahu had “turned his Troops around” after being asked “not to go into a major raid of Beirut,” and said talks with Iran were continuing “at a rapid pace.”
