A reported phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has exposed growing tensions between the two leaders as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate in Lebanon.
According to multiple media reports citing U.S. officials and sources familiar with the conversation, Trump became furious over Israel’s recent military actions in Lebanon and directly confronted Netanyahu during the call. At one point, Trump reportedly shouted, “What the f*** are you doing?” while criticizing what he viewed as a disproportionate Israeli response to Hezbollah attacks.
The heated exchange reportedly came after Israel carried out strikes on Hezbollah-linked targets in and around Beirut, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Trump is said to have been particularly concerned that continued Israeli attacks could derail ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Iran and further isolate Israel internationally. One U.S. official quoted in reports said Trump believed the destruction caused by some of the strikes was excessive and damaging to broader peace efforts.
Axios reported that Trump used unusually strong language during the conversation, allegedly calling Netanyahu “crazy” and warning him that global opinion was rapidly turning against Israel because of the military campaign. Another source claimed Trump told the Israeli leader that “everybody hates you now” and blamed the escalation for increasing international criticism of Israel.
The confrontation took place as Washington attempted to broker a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah. Trump later announced that he had spoken with both Israeli officials and Hezbollah representatives through intermediaries, claiming that both sides had agreed to stop attacks. He also stated that Israel had pulled back plans for a major operation targeting Beirut.
Despite Trump’s optimism, the ceasefire remains uncertain. Hezbollah continued launching attacks into northern Israel after the announcement, while Netanyahu publicly maintained that Israel would continue military operations if Hezbollah aggression persisted. Israeli officials have stressed that their security objectives in southern Lebanon remain unchanged.
The reported phone call is being described by U.S. and Israeli media as one of the most tense exchanges between Trump and Netanyahu since Trump returned to office. Analysts say the disagreement highlights growing pressure on Washington to prevent the Israel-Hezbollah conflict from expanding into a broader regional war involving Iran and other armed groups across the Middle East.
