A sharp diplomatic rift between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been exposed by multiple U.S. officials, who have detailed a profanity-filled phone call where Trump lashed out at Netanyahu over Israel’s planned new offensive on Beirut, Lebanon. The confrontation came on the heels of Iran’s decision to pause ongoing indirect peace talks mediated by international actors, a move Tehran made directly in response to Netanyahu’s public announcement of plans to renew strikes on the southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh, a stronghold of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Citing two anonymous senior U.S. administration officials, news outlet Axios first reported that Trump unleashed a torrent of harsh criticism against Netanyahu during the conversation, steamrolling the Israeli leader and warning that any further military escalation in Lebanon would push Israel into complete international isolation. According to the officials’ accounts, Trump went so far as to call Netanyahu “fucking crazy” and bluntly stated that “everybody hates Israel” over the planned offensive. He repeatedly emphasized that his interventions were shielding Israel from global backlash, telling Netanyahu “I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.” At one point in the heated exchange, sources say Trump yelled the question “What the fuck are you doing?” in frustration at Netanyahu’s refusal to back down from the attack plans.
The officials added that Trump also publicly accused Netanyahu of ingratitude, a remark widely interpreted as a reference to Netanyahu’s ongoing ongoing corruption trial in Israel and Trump’s previous public calls for the Israeli leader to receive a full pardon. Immediately after the call, Trump moved quickly to de-escalate the situation, posting an announcement on his social media platform clarifying that no U.S. troops would be deployed to Beirut, and any U.S. military assets already en route had already been ordered to turn back. He also claimed he had held a productive discussion with Hezbollah representatives to work out the terms of a full ceasefire, writing “They agreed that all shooting will stop – That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
Initial responses to the ceasefire proposal from regional stakeholders have revealed mixed positions. Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament, released a public statement Monday confirming the group supports a comprehensive ceasefire across all of Lebanese territory, noting that such an agreement should be followed by a full withdrawal of Israeli military forces from all occupied Lebanese territory. Fadlallah also made clear that Hezbollah rejects any partial truce deal that would spare Beirut from Israeli strikes in exchange for Hezbollah halting attacks on northern Israel. Shortly after Fadlallah’s statement, the Lebanese presidency officially confirmed that Hezbollah had agreed to the U.S.-brokered proposal for a mutual halt to all hostilities across the entire country.
Netanyahu, however, has refused to back down from his original stance. In a post on the social platform X, the Israeli prime minister confirmed he had spoken with Trump, and reiterated that “if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and citizens – Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut. This stance of ours remains unchanged.”
Regarding Iran’s decision to suspend indirect peace talks, Trump initially offered a dismissive response, telling reporters “I don’t care if they’re over, honestly…I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less.” Later, speaking to NBC News, Trump added that he had not received any direct communication from Iran since the suspension, and suggested that a period of diplomatic silence could be beneficial. “I think we’ve been talking too much if you want to know the truth. I think going silent would be very good, and that could be for a long time,” he said, adding “It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there. We’ll just go silent. We’ll keep the blockade. Blockade is a piece of steel.” He subsequently walked back the suggestion that talks were permanently halted, posting on social media that negotiations with Iran were continuing “at a rapid pace.”
This report was originally published by Middle East Eye, an outlet that provides independent, in-depth coverage of the Middle East and North Africa region.