US President Donald Trump strongly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call.
According to the report, Trump was angry about Israel's growing military action in Lebanon. He reportedly called Netanyahu "crazy" and accused him of not appreciating US support. Trump stopped an Israeli plan to launch a strike on Beirut.
Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu and representatives connected to Hezbollah. He later announced that Netanyahu had agreed to cancel a military operation in Beirut. Trump also claimed that Hezbollah had agreed to stop firing. He shared the update on his Truth Social platform.
The developments came after Tehran had suspended talks with mediators. Iran said it made the decision because of Israel's expanding military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
At first, Trump said he did not know whether Iran had stopped the talks. He later told that he did not care if the discussions had ended. However, he soon moved to ease concerns about the conflict in Lebanon.
Trump warned Netanyahu that an attack on Beirut would further damage Israel's image around the world. He also further gave strong reminder to Netanyahu of the support he had received from Washington.
Trump told Netanyahu that many people were becoming increasingly critical of both him and Israel because of the conflict. This conversation was become one of the most tense exchanges between the two leaders since Trump returned to office.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 1, 2026
Trump was concerned about the high number of civilian deaths in Lebanon. He reportedly questioned Israeli military actions that caused major destruction while targeting individual Hezbollah commanders.
An Israeli government statement later said Netanyahu told Trump that Israel would strike Beirut if Hezbollah continued attacks on Israeli cities and civilians. Netanyahu also said Israel would continue military operations in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have advanced deeper into the region.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “I spoke this evening with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not stop firing at our cities and citizens – Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut.
This position of ours remain unchanged.Concurrently, the IDF will…
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 1, 2026
Despite Netanyahu's position, Trump pushed strongly for restraint during the call. According to a US official quoted , Netanyahu eventually agreed to step back from immediate action in Beirut by saying ‘OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of". Neither Netanyahu's office nor the White House has officially commented on the details furthermore.
