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U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly had an emotional and unusually tense phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, June 1, during which he sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Lebanon, according to multiple U.S. officials cited by Axios.
According to the report, Trump accused Netanyahu of escalating the situation too far, at one point calling him “crazy” and expressing frustration over what he described as a lack of gratitude for U.S. support. Sources said the president also intervened to pause a planned Israeli strike on Beirut.
Officials familiar with the call said Trump was particularly angered by the growing violence in Lebanon and the number of civilian casualties, arguing that military operations targeting Hezbollah commanders were causing excessive destruction.
One source quoted Trump as saying: “You’re crazy. Without me, you’d be in jail,” referring to Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial in Israel and past U.S. political support.
The conversation reportedly became heated, with Trump at one point shouting, “What the hell are you doing?” while pressing Netanyahu over the escalation.
Israeli officials did not comment on the reported exchange.
Despite the tension, U.S. officials said both sides continue to coordinate on broader regional issues, including Iran and security in the Middle East.
