Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
US President Donald Trump reportedly erupted at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a profanity-filled phone call over Israel’s escalating military campaign in Lebanon, as Washington scrambled to prevent the conflict from derailing sensitive negotiations with Iran.
The extraordinary exchange came after Israel ordered strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs and expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon, moves that raised fears of a wider regional war and prompted fresh warnings from Tehran.
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According to Axios, Trump accused Netanyahu of pushing Israel toward international isolation and jeopardizing US diplomatic efforts with Iran. Two US officials and another source briefed on the call said Trump called Netanyahu “crazy” and complained that the Israeli leader was acting without regard for the consequences.
One US official quoted Trump as telling Netanyahu: “You’re f*****g 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.”
A second source said Trump, visibly angry during the call, at one point shouted: “What the f**k are you doing?”
The confrontation followed a sharp escalation on Monday after Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered attacks on Hezbollah-controlled areas of Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, citing repeated Hezbollah violations of a ceasefire and attacks on Israeli territory. The announcement sent residents fleeing the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs amid fears of major airstrikes.
Iran, which backs Hezbollah, warned that continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon could undermine ongoing negotiations with Washington aimed at easing tensions after months of conflict. Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that a ceasefire in Lebanon is a key component of any broader understanding with the United States.
US officials said Trump understood Israel’s argument that it was responding to Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks, but believed Netanyahu was escalating the conflict disproportionately. One official said Trump was particularly disturbed by the civilian death toll in Lebanon and objected to large-scale strikes targeting single Hezbollah commanders.
The call appeared to have an immediate impact. An Israeli official told Axios that Israel no longer planned to strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut. Later, Trump said he had spoken to Netanyahu and that Israeli troops heading toward Beirut had been turned back. He also claimed Hezbollah, through intermediaries, had agreed to halt attacks on Israel.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that “there will be no Troops going to Beirut.”
Netanyahu, however, signaled no change in Israel’s broader military posture. In a statement issued after the call, he said Israel would continue operations in southern Lebanon and warned that attacks on Beirut remained an option if Hezbollah did not stop firing on Israel.
“Our position remains the same,” Netanyahu said.
The clash highlighted growing strains between the two leaders despite close coordination on Iran and regional security issues. One US official described it as one of the most contentious conversations between Trump and Netanyahu since Trump returned to office. Officials said Trump’s frustration stemmed largely from concerns that the Lebanon conflict could collapse ongoing US-Iran negotiations, which he later insisted were “continuing, at a rapid pace.”
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
