Trump Confirms Expletive-Laden Call With Netanyahu Over Lebanon Escalation

President Donald Trump has confirmed a heated phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which he used expletives and called Netanyahu "f***ing crazy." The conversation reportedly centered on Netanyahu's escalation of actions in Lebanon.

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I did. I wouldn’t say angry, I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon.

Axios initially reported that Trump accused Netanyahu of ingratitude and warned him he was "saving his a**." Trump, speaking to the New York Post's Miranda Devine, acknowledged the expletive-laden nature of the call but downplayed anger, stating he was "a little bit perturbed" by Netanyahu's conflict with Lebanon. He stressed that he likes Netanyahu and they "work very well together."

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At some point, I said Bibi, we’re gonna stop this. We got to stop it.

The exchange took place as delicate U.S.-Iran peace negotiations appear stalled. Israel's expanding conflict in Lebanon is seen as a potential spoiler to broader peace efforts. Trump, who described himself as "a wartime president" and Netanyahu as "a wartime prime minister," expressed optimism about reaching a deal with Iran soon.

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But I have a very good relationship. […] We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him.

Trump also claimed to have communicated with Hezbollah through intermediaries to de-escalate the fighting, a first for a U.S. president. He posted on Truth Social that no troops would be sent to Beirut and that Hezbollah had agreed to stop attacking Israel. Despite initial Iranian skepticism about the ceasefire, Trump voiced confidence that Iran would not obtain a nuclear weapon.

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I’m a wartime president. He’s a wartime prime minister.