Trump-Labeled Netanyahu ‘Crazy’ Over Lebanon Escalation; Blocked Beirut Strikes, Say US Sources
मुख्य बातें
- •Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” and blocked Israel’s planned strikes on Beirut during a tense phone call on Monday.
- •Trump accused Netanyahu of ingratitude, saying, “You'd be in prison if it weren't for me,” and expressed concern over civilian casualties in Lebanon.
- •Iran threatened to suspend negotiations with the US over Israel’s actions in Lebanon, complicating ongoing US-Iran talks.
- •Netanyahu stated Israel would continue operations in southern Lebanon and reserved the right to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks persist.
- •A second US official confirmed Trump overruled Netanyahu during the call, and Israel later announced it would not strike targets in Beirut.
Washington and Jerusalem witnessed one of the sharpest exchanges between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent months after Trump intervened directly to stop Israel’s planned strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, multiple US and Israeli sources told Axios.
According to three people briefed on the Monday call, Trump unleashed a string of unusually blunt criticisms, at one point telling Netanyahu that he was “f****. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” as quoted by a US official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The same source said Trump repeatedly challenged Netanyahu over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon, questioning the proportionality of the military response and expressing alarm at rising civilian casualties.