Metro53 - Washington: A heated telephone conversation reportedly took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, according to sources cited by Axios.
The report claims that Trump sharply criticized Netanyahu during the call, expressing frustration over the expansion of Israeli operations in Lebanon. According to unnamed U.S. officials and sources familiar with the discussion, the American president warned that further escalation, particularly any strike on Beirut, could deepen Israel’s international isolation.
Sources said the conversation took place on the same day that Iran reportedly warned it could abandon ongoing negotiations with the United States if Israeli military actions in Lebanon continued.
According to the report, Trump urged Netanyahu to refrain from carrying out threats of attacks on Beirut and questioned the scale of Israel’s military response. One source claimed the U.S. president argued that Israel’s actions had become disproportionate despite acknowledging its right to self-defense against attacks from Hezbollah.
The report further alleges that Trump reminded Netanyahu of his past political support during the Israeli leader’s ongoing corruption trials and voiced concern that current military operations could damage both Israel’s international standing and U.S. diplomatic efforts in the region.
U.S. officials cited in the report also said Trump was concerned about civilian casualties in Lebanon and objected to large-scale strikes aimed at individual Hezbollah targets.
An Israeli official, according to the report, indicated that Israel no longer intended to carry out attacks on targets in Beirut.
The reported exchange is said to be among the most contentious conversations between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House. Neither the White House nor the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office had publicly released details of the alleged conversation at the time of reporting.
The reported dispute highlights growing concerns within Washington that escalating tensions in Lebanon could complicate broader regional diplomacy, including ongoing contacts involving Iran and efforts to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East.
