Key facts
- US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call on Friday.
- Trump reportedly rebuked Netanyahu over Israel's strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- Trump accused Netanyahu of jeopardizing US diplomatic efforts with Iran.
- The call followed Israel's strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon.
- Iran had warned that continued Israeli attacks could undermine US-Iran negotiations.
- Netanyahu stated Israel would continue operations in southern Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump reportedly engaged in a tense phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning Israel's military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Sources described the exchange as profanity-laced, highlighting a significant strain between US diplomatic objectives with Iran and Israel's military strategy.
Trump reportedly accused Netanyahu of acting recklessly, pushing Israel toward international isolation, and jeopardizing sensitive negotiations with Iran. The confrontation followed Israel's strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut and expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon, moves that raised concerns about a wider regional conflict and threatened ongoing US-Iran talks. Iran, a backer of Hezbollah, had warned that continued attacks could undermine these negotiations.
While US officials acknowledged Israel's right to respond to Hezbollah attacks, they believed Netanyahu's escalation was disproportionate. Trump was reportedly disturbed by the civilian casualties and large-scale strikes. Following the call, an Israeli official indicated that strikes on Beirut were no longer planned, and Trump claimed Hezbollah had agreed to halt attacks. However, Netanyahu maintained that Israel would continue operations in southern Lebanon and kept the option of striking Beirut open if Hezbollah attacks persisted.