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President Donald Trump had one of the most explosive phone calls of his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, during which he insulted him, accused him of ingratitude, and halted Israeli plans to bomb Beirut, according to two U.S. officials and a third source who spoke to the American media Axios.
The conversation, described as one of the most tense between both leaders since Trump returned to the White House, took place on Monday, June 1, at a critical moment: Iran had suspended peace negotiations with Washington that same day, claiming that the Israeli attacks in Lebanon violated the ceasefire in effect since April 8.
According to a summary prepared by a U.S. official and published by Axios, Trump told Netanyahu: “You’re completely crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your skin. Now everyone hates you and Israel.”
A second source described Trump as "furious," and stated that at one point during the call he shouted at the prime minister: "What the hell are you doing?"
The trigger: The escalation in Lebanon
The immediate trigger was Israel's decision to expand its ground operations in southern Lebanon and threaten to bomb the Shia suburbs south of Beirut.
Trump understood that Hezbollah had attacked Israel and that the country had the right to defend itself, but he believed that Netanyahu had escalated disproportionately, according to a U.S. official.
The president was particularly disturbed by the number of Lebanese civilians killed and questioned the strategy of destroying entire buildings to eliminate a single Hezbollah commander.
A second official stated that Trump ended up "overwhelming" Netanyahu, to which the Prime Minister replied, "Okay, just make sure everything is settled."
The reference to the prison
Trump's mention that Netanyahu "would be in prison" without his support refers to the corruption trial the prime minister has been facing since 2020, when he was charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three different cases.
The international analyst Andrés Repetto, in statements to LN+, pointed out that Netanyahu is also facing internal pressure due to the possible dissolution of the Israeli parliament and the imminent call for early elections.
"It was evident that the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump is not at its best," stated Repetto.
Netanyahu's public response
After the call, Netanyahu issued a statement without backing down: "If Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and citizens, Israel will target terrorist objectives in Beirut. Our position remains firm."
However, an Israeli official confirmed to Axios that Israel has ultimately ruled out attacking Hezbollah targets in Beirut, and Qatar informed Washington that the planned attacks had been canceled.
The background: the agreement with Iran at risk
Trump's fury has a strategic explanation: the Israeli escalation threatened to collapse negotiations with Iran, which the president considers his major diplomatic gamble in the region.
The memorandum under negotiation between Washington and Tehran explicitly includes a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made it clear: "The violation of the ceasefire on one front constitutes a violation on all fronts."
The central issue of the negotiations remains the duration of the moratorium on uranium enrichment: Washington demands 20 years, while Tehran has offered between five and 15.
After the call, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran are ongoing at an accelerated pace."
Lebanese negotiators are scheduled to hold talks in Washington this Wednesday to expand the areas of the country excluded from attacks, in an effort to move towards a complete ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that remains as fragile as it is urgent.
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