Trump, Netanyahu had 'heated' call over Lebanon military plans

A recent telephone call between former US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became notably heated, according to sources familiar with the conversation. The discussion centered on Israel's planned military operations in Lebanon, with Trump reportedly pressing Netanyahu to scale back the offensive.

“

Trump at points used expletives to convey his disapproval of the planned offensive, which threatened to upend his efforts to broker a preliminary agreement with Iran.

During the call, Trump allegedly used expletives to express his disapproval of the planned military action. Sources indicated that Trump feared the offensive could disrupt his ongoing efforts to negotiate a preliminary agreement with Iran. He reportedly reminded Netanyahu of past support and warned that bombing Lebanon could further isolate Israel on the international stage.

“

At one point, the president reminded Netanyahu of how he’d supported him in the past and warned him that bombing Lebanon could isolate Israel further, the sources said.

The White House has not commented on the acrimonious tone of the call, which was first reported by Axios. In contrast to the reported tension, Trump later posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, describing the conversation as "productive." He claimed that Israel and Hezbollah would cease attacks on each other and that Israeli troops would not advance on Beirut.

“

Trump wrote on Truth Social after speaking with Netanyahu that it was a “productive” call, and he claimed Israel and Hezbollah would stop attacking each other. He said Israeli troops would not move on Beirut.

However, Prime Minister Netanyahu offered a different perspective in his own statement, asserting that the Israeli military would continue its strikes in southern Lebanon "as planned." This divergence in statements suggests a significant disagreement between the two leaders regarding the future course of military operations in the region, despite Trump's reported efforts to de-escalate the situation.

“

Netanyahu said in his own statement that the Israeli military would keep striking southern Lebanon “as planned.”