Donald Trump angrily confronted Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's threats to resume airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, according to a report. The US president shouted, 'What the fuck are you doing?' at the Israeli prime minister during a phone call on Monday, Axios reported, citing a US official. The official summarised Trump's remarks as: 'You're fucking 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.'
The call followed Netanyahu's order to resume bombing the southern Dahiya area of Beirut to target Hezbollah, after the Iranian-backed militia launched drone strikes into Israel. The Israel Defense Forces told Lebanese civilians to evacuate, causing thousands to flee. Iran then said on Tuesday it would suspend peace talks with the US over Israel's campaign in southern Lebanon, insisting Lebanon should be covered by a ceasefire agreement meant to facilitate negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz and a US blockade of Iranian ports.
The phone call came after Trump had claimed negotiators had reached a preliminary deal that he was considering signing. Channel 12, an Israeli news network, contested the details, with chief political analyst Amit Segal saying Trump had not attacked Netanyahu personally and that the two agreed Netanyahu would refrain from attacking Beirut suburbs if Hezbollah ceased its attacks on Israel.
Trump and Netanyahu have had a strained relationship. Trump previously fumed that Iran and Israel 'don't know what the fuck they're doing' during a 12-day exchange of strikes. After Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden on winning the 2020 election, Trump said of him: 'Fuck him.' Trump faces pressure from pro-Israel allies who want a tougher stance on Iran, while others seek a rapid end to the war before the US mid-term elections. Mark Levin, a pro-Israel talk show host, wrote that the leak would benefit Iran, making the US 'look weak'. Netanyahu also faces political pressure, with Israel's parliament backing a bill to dissolve the Knesset and his corruption trial continuing.
