DUBAI: President Donald Trump has had an expletive-laden call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Israel’s escalation of military activities in Lebanon, according to the website Axios.
The report, citing three sources, including two US officials, quoted Trump as having told Netanyahu on Monday: “You’re f--- crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Another source said Trump was “pissed” and at one point yelled at Netanyahu: “What the f--- are you doing?”
Netanyahu earlier vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after Israeli troops captured the medieval castle of Beaufort on Sunday, calling it a “dramatic shift” in the campaign against Hezbollah.
Israel has also threatened to bomb Beirut’s southern suburbs if Hezbollah continues to attack Israeli towns and cities.
Trump fears Israel’s escalatory actions in Lebanon would hinder talks with Iran, as an earlier report claimed Tehran had suspended indirect negotiations with the US because of the Israeli attacks.
The report added that Trump was concerned at rising civilian deaths from Tel Aviv’s attacks, and objected to the Israeli military’s actions of knocking down buildings to take out a single Hezbollah commander.
This was one of Trump’s worst calls with Netanyahu since he returned to office, Axios reported, quoting one official.
Trump later posted on his Truth Social account he had asked Netanyahu “not to go into a major raid of Beirut, Lebanon. He turned his Troops around.”
“I also had a conversation with Representatives of the Leaders of Hezbollah, and they agreed to stop shooting at Israel, and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop shooting at them,” Trump posted.
