President Trump reportedly unloaded on Benjamin Netanyahu this week—and may have halted an Israeli strike on Beirut in the process. Axios, citing two US officials and a third source, reports Trump erupted during an expletive-laden Monday call with the Israeli prime minister over Israel's expanding military action in Lebanon, calling him "crazy" and, per one official, saying, "You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your ass." Trump is said to have warned that bombing the Lebanese capital would leave Israel even more isolated internationally, as civilian casualties mounted and buildings were leveled to hit individual Hezbollah commanders. Two sources confirmed the call to CNN.
The confrontation came as Iran threatened to walk away from negotiations with Washington over Israel's actions in Lebanon—talks Trump later said on Truth Social were "continuing, at a rapid pace." Israel has since dropped plans to hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut, an Israeli official told Axios. Netanyahu, in a statement after the call, maintained that Israel's stance was unchanged and that operations in southern Lebanon would go on. (Beirut is on the eastern coast of the country, the Hill explains.) US officials described this as one of Trump's most heated conversations with Netanyahu since returning to office, driven by concern that Israel's escalation could blow up any potential Iran deal.
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