Trump blasts Netanyahu in heated call over Lebanon strikes
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "crazy" during a phone conversation and accused him of being ungrateful, Axios reports.
What Trump told Netanyahu
Trump was furious that Israel continued escalating the situation in Lebanon, which, according to him, threatened to derail negotiations with Iran.
During the conversation, he told the Israeli prime minister that the bombing of Beirut would only further isolate Israel on the international stage.
"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," one US official quoted Trump as saying.
Another source said that at one point, Trump directly shouted: "What the f*** are you doing?"
Prison and ingratitude
Trump also reminded Netanyahu of his support during the corruption trial and hinted that it was because of that support that he had avoided prison.
According to a US official, Trump had "steamrolled" Netanyahu on the call. The Israeli prime minister's reaction, according to the same account, was: "Okay, okay, just make sure everything is taken care of."
Israel had planned to carry out an airstrike on Beirut, but Trump blocked the move.
He also expressed concern over the number of civilian casualties in Lebanon. Separately, the US president objected to the tactic of destroying entire buildings to eliminate a single Hezbollah commander.
Following the conversation, Israel confirmed that no further strikes on targets in Beirut were planned.
After the call, the Israeli prime minister issued a statement saying that if Hezbollah (the Iran-backed Lebanese militant and political group) does not stop its attacks, Israel will strike Beirut.
"Our position remains the same," he wrote.
At the same time, Netanyahu confirmed that the ground operation in southern Lebanon would continue according to approved plans.
Following the same conversation, Trump announced a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. According to him, mediators helped secure an agreement under which both sides would stop attacking each other.
Meanwhile, Trump expects to reach a deal with Iran as early as next week. He also described a potential peace agreement with Tehran as even better than a military victory.
