Kumar Bahukhandi
US President Donald Trump with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (AFP file image)
A US official cited by Axios said Trump was frustrated by what he viewed as a disproportionate Israeli military response to Hezbollah attacks.
Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump reportedly lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a heated telephone conversation on Monday (American Time ) , holding him responsible for increasing global hostility toward Israel, Axios reported.
The confrontation followed a warning from Iran earlier in the day that it could suspend diplomatic engagements with Washington over ongoing military operations in Lebanon. According to Axios, Trump reacted angrily and at one point shouted at Netanyahu, saying, “What the f*** are you doing?”
A US official cited by Axios said Trump was frustrated by what he viewed as a disproportionate Israeli military response to Hezbollah attacks. The President reportedly objected to the destruction of entire buildings to target a single Hezbollah commander and criticized escalating Israeli threats against Beirut.
Another source familiar with the conversation told Axios that Trump remarked, “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Following the call, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying Israel’s position “remains the same.” However, a US official told Axios that Trump had effectively “steamrolled” the Israeli leader during the discussion.
According to Axios, the official said Netanyahu responded by saying, “OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of.”
Another administration official described the exchange as one of Trump’s worst conversations with Netanyahu since the start of his second presidential term.
After the call, Trump posted on Truth Social that Netanyahu had “turned his Troops around” after he requested that Israel “not go into a major raid of Beirut.” In a separate post, Trump said negotiations with Iran were continuing “at a rapid pace,” signaling his intention to keep broader Middle East diplomatic efforts on track despite tensions with Israel.
( Source : ANI )
