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“You’re f—ing crazy,” Trump reportedly told Netanyahu during a heated call over Israel’s Lebanon operations.
By United with Israel Staff
President Donald Trump reportedly lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tense phone call Monday as the two leaders clashed over Israel’s escalating military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
According to Axios, Trump was furious over Israel’s plans to expand strikes in Beirut and warned that the escalation could jeopardize ongoing U.S. negotiations with Iran.
The reported confrontation came just hours after Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to strike terrorist targets in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, following days of sustained Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on northern Israeli cities and communities.
In a public statement earlier Monday, Netanyahu made clear that Israel intended to intensify its response.
“There will not be a situation in which Hezbollah attacks our cities and citizens while the terror headquarters in Dahiyeh remain off limits,” he said, while Katz warned that “if there is no quiet in the north, there will be no quiet in Beirut.”
The Israeli announcement triggered large-scale evacuations from Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s main stronghold in the Lebanese capital, amid expectations of major Israeli strikes.
According to Axios, Trump argued during the call that Israel’s actions were undermining broader American diplomatic efforts in the region. One U.S. official summarized Trump’s remarks by saying he told Netanyahu, “You’re f—ing crazy,” while another source said the president repeatedly yelled at the Israeli leader and effectively “steamrolled” him during the conversation.
The dispute appears to have been driven in part by concerns over Iran. Earlier Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the ceasefire between Iran and the United States applied “on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” and said any violation in Lebanon would be considered a violation of the broader arrangement.
Hours later, Iran reportedly suspended diplomatic negotiations with Washington and ordered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, a move Tehran linked directly to Israel’s actions in Beirut.
Shortly after his conversation with Netanyahu, Trump announced that Israel would not carry out the planned move into Beirut.
“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,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump also claimed that Hezbollah had agreed to halt its attacks and that Israel would refrain from striking the organization.
“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,” he wrote.
Minutes later, Trump highlighted the importance of the Iran negotiations, posting that talks with the Islamic Republic were continuing “at a rapid pace.”
Netanyahu later acknowledged speaking with Trump but indicated that Israel’s policy had not fundamentally changed.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu told Trump that if Hezbollah continued attacking Israeli cities and civilians, Israel would strike terrorist targets in Beirut. He also said the IDF would continue operating in southern Lebanon as planned.
Despite Trump’s declaration that a ceasefire had been secured, fighting continued overnight. Hezbollah launched additional rockets and drones toward Israeli forces and northern Israeli communities throughout Monday night and into Tuesday morning, raising fresh questions about the durability of any understandings reached behind the scenes.
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