TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US President Donald Trump reportedly lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a heated phone call on Monday, June 1, amid growing concerns that Israel's military escalation in Lebanon could derail Washington's ongoing negotiations with Iran.
The call, described by US officials as one of the most tense exchanges between the two leaders since Trump's return to office, came after Iran warned that it could suspend talks with the United States if Israeli attacks in Lebanon continued.
According to Axios, Trump strongly criticized Netanyahu's handling of the conflict and accused the Israeli leader of escalating military operations in a manner that threatened broader diplomatic efforts in the region.
One US official familiar with the conversation said Trump warned Netanyahu that carrying out threats to strike Beirut would further isolate Israel internationally. The official said Trump also argued that Israel's actions were undermining ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Axios noted that Trump was particularly concerned that the escalation in Lebanon could jeopardize a proposed agreement with Iran that includes provisions aimed at ending hostilities in Lebanon.
Sources briefed on the conversation told Axios that Trump used unusually harsh language during the call. According to one official, Trump accused Netanyahu of ingratitude and suggested that his political support had helped the Israeli prime minister survive mounting legal and political pressures.
“You’re f---ing crazy,” Trump told Netanyahu, according to US official. “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.”
The confrontation reportedly reflected Trump's growing frustration over the conflict. US officials said the president acknowledged Israel's right to defend itself against attacks by Hezbollah but believed Netanyahu had responded disproportionately in recent days.
Trump was also reportedly troubled by the number of civilian casualties in Lebanon and objected to Israeli military tactics that involved destroying large numbers of buildings to target individual Hezbollah commanders.
Following the call, Israel backed away from plans to strike targets in Beirut, according to an Israeli official cited by Axios. However, Netanyahu later signaled that Israel's broader military objectives remained unchanged.
In a public statement issued after the conversation, Netanyahu said he had informed Trump that Israel would continue attacking targets in Beirut if Hezbollah did not stop launching attacks against Israeli cities and civilians. He also reiterated that Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon would continue.
The dispute emerged as diplomatic efforts involving the United States and Iran face increasing uncertainty. Earlier on Monday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran could halt negotiations with Washington if Israeli attacks on Lebanon persisted.
As reported by The Daily Beast, Trump's anger was fueled in part by concerns that Netanyahu's actions were threatening to unravel a broader peace initiative involving Iran and Lebanon.
The publication noted that Trump had publicly portrayed the phone call as productive. In a post on Truth Social, he said no Israeli troops would be sent to Beirut and claimed Hezbollah had agreed to halt attacks in exchange for Israeli restraint.
Hours later, however, Netanyahu presented a different account of the discussion, maintaining that Israel reserved the right to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks continued.
Trump subsequently issued another social media statement reiterating his conversations with both Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives and expressing hope that any ceasefire arrangement would hold.
Political analysts said the episode highlighted growing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem despite years of close cooperation.
Speaking to CNN, political analyst David Axelrod said the reported exchange suggested a significant deterioration in the relationship between the two leaders. Axelrod argued that Netanyahu's handling of the conflict had damaged Israel's international standing and created political challenges for Trump at home.
He also suggested that the economic consequences of prolonged regional instability, including rising oil and consumer prices, could complicate Trump's domestic agenda.
Despite the tensions, Trump later indicated that negotiations with Iran remain ongoing. In a post on Truth Social following the call, he said talks with Tehran were continuing "at a rapid pace."
For now, however, the future of both the US-Iran negotiations and efforts to reduce tensions in Lebanon remain uncertain as fighting continues and diplomatic pressure mounts on all sides.
Read: Netanyahu Says Israel Seeking to Control 70% of Gaza
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