Trump called Netanyahu 'crazy,' blocked Beirut strike in explosive phone call: report

Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he was "crazy" and blocked a planned Israeli strike on Beirut during a tense phone call Monday, according to Axios.

The U.S. outlet, citing two officials and a third source briefed on the conversation, said Trump grew increasingly angry over Israel's military escalation in Lebanon.

What did Trump tell Netanyahu in the call about Lebanon?

Trump warned Netanyahu that bombing Beirut would further isolate Israel internationally and objected to tactics that destroyed entire buildings to target individual Hezbollah commanders.

He also told Netanyahu he had "kept him out of jail," a reference Axios said was tied to his support during Netanyahu's corruption trial.

Netanyahu ultimately backed down, responding: "OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of."

What did Trump say publicly about the Lebanon situation?

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Netanyahu had agreed to cancel a planned military raid on Beirut and that Hezbollah had agreed that "all shooting will stop."

Trump told reporters he had spoken with Netanyahu and, through unnamed representatives, with Hezbollah.

He later told CNBC he did not care if Iran had halted nuclear talks, though Axios reported he subsequently moved to address Iranian concerns about the Israeli operation.

What triggered the Trump-Netanyahu confrontation?

The call followed Iran's Tasnim news agency reporting that Tehran had suspended dialogue with mediators in protest of Israel's expanding offensive against Hezbollah. Trump initially told reporters he was unaware of the halt.

According to Axios, his subsequent pressure on Netanyahu was in part a response to those Iranian concerns.

What is Israel doing in Lebanon right now?

Netanyahu's office said the Israeli leader told Trump that Israel would strike Beirut if Hezbollah did not stop firing on Israeli cities.

Netanyahu also said Israeli ground forces were advancing toward the Zaharani River in southern Lebanon, describing it as the deepest Israeli incursion into the country in 25 years.

One U.S. official described the Trump-Netanyahu call as among the most contentious since Trump returned to office.

Axios quoted Trump as saying: "You're f***ing crazy. You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your a**."

Trump has not publicly commented on the report.