Trump berates Netanyahu over Lebanon escalation in expletive-laden private call: report

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump angrily confronted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call on Monday over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon.

Based on two US officials and another person briefed on the call, Trump described Netanyahu as crazy and accused him of ingratitude. The US president intervened to stop an Israeli plan to strike Beirut.

Earlier on Monday, Trump said he had spoken to Netanyahu and, through intermediaries, with Hezbollah. In a post on Truth Social, he said Netanyahu had agreed to cancel a military raid on Beirut while Hezbollah had agreed that all shooting would stop.

Trump’s remarks came after Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had suspended dialogue with mediators in protest against Israel’s widening offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Initially, Trump said he did not know whether Iran had halted the talks. He later told CNBC that he did not care if the talks had ended.

Trump told Netanyahu that carrying out threats to bomb Beirut would further isolate Israel internationally. He also told Netanyahu he had helped keep him out of jail, which referred to Trump’s support during Netanyahu’s corruption trial.

A US official summarised Trump’s message in stark terms. "You’re f****** 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," Trump reportedly said.

Trump was pissed and at one stage shouted at Netanyahu: "What the f*** are you doing?"

Trump was alarmed by the number of civilians killed in Lebanon and objected to Israel knocking down buildings to target a single Hezbollah commander. One official described it as one of Trump’s worst calls with Netanyahu since he returned to office.

After the call, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli premier told Trump that Israel would strike Beirut if Hezbollah does not stop firing at our cities and citizens. The office also said Israel would continue operations in southern Lebanon, where Israeli ground forces are pushing toward the Zaharani River, described as their deepest incursion into Lebanon in 25 years.

Trump steamrolled Netanyahu during the exchange. Netanyahu eventually relented. "Bibi said, ‘OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of.’"

Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment, while Trump has not publicly commented on the report itself.