The heated phone conversation between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump on Monday night has revealed new information.
Amidst the intensifying confrontation between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the US president allegedly informed the Israeli leader that he was “f***ing crazy” and that “everyone hates Israel” in an expletive-filled exchange, saying, “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me.” I’m going to save your ass. According to reports, Trump said, “Everyone hates you now.”
The tense chat occurred shortly before the US president declared on Truth Social that the Israeli prime minister had “turned his troops around” rather than launching a “major raid” on Lebanon.
A senior member of Netanyahu’s team has refuted the allegations, which were initially reported by Axios, stating that “Trump did not make personal remarks about jail or claim Netanyahu is hated globally.”
“The tense call focused on conflicting social media posts,” according to Amit Segal of Channel 12 in Israel.
According to an anonymous official, “Trump felt Netanyahu implied the war was continuing at full intensity, while Netanyahu felt Trump implied a total ceasefire.” “Trump did note that defending Israel’s global position is difficult and breeds hatred.” Israel will refrain from attacking Beirut as long as it is not attacked within its own borders, according to the agreement reached at the end of the call.
Following an Israeli attack on Arnoun hamlet in the Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon on June 1, smoke rises.
On March 26, US President Donald Trump addresses a Cabinet meeting in the White House’s Cabinet Room.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem on March 19, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discusses the US-Israel dispute with Iran.
On Monday, Netanyahu issued an order for attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut that are held by Hezbollah, indicating the possibility of further escalation in a dispute that has hindered efforts to mediate a settlement between the United States and Iran.
Later, Iranian state TV stated that if Israeli attacks continued in Lebanon, where war has raged since Hezbollah joined the regional battle on the Islamic Republic’s side on March 2, a ceasefire reached between Tehran and Washington was highly likely to unravel.
According to sources who spoke to Axios, Trump’s anger during the call stemmed from his perception that Israel’s actions were making it more difficult to reach a peace agreement with Iran.
The US president was “pissed” during the chat, according to one who told the site, and at one point he yelled at Netanyahu, “What the f*** are you doing?”
However, soon after the conversation, Trump declared on Truth Social that Hezbollah and the Israeli military had decided to “stop shooting” at each other.
I spoke with Bibi Netanyahu today and urged him to refrain from launching a significant raid on Beirut, Lebanon. He pivoted his troops. The US president wrote, “Thank you, Bibi! I also spoke with representatives of Hezbollah’s leaders, and they agreed to stop shooting at Israel and its soldiers.” Israel also consented to cease firing at them. We’ll see how long that lasts, hopefully forever!
Later, Netanyahu seemed to cast doubt on Trump’s assertion of a ceasefire, threatening to bomb Beirut if Hezbollah continued to assault Israel.In a statement issued by his office, Netanyahu stated, “I spoke with President Trump this evening and told him that Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our towns and our citizens.”
Since Hezbollah commenced fire on Israel on March 2, more than 3,400 people have died in Lebanon as a result of Israeli assaults, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel claims that during that time, four civilians and 24 of its soldiers were killed.
In Tyre, Lebanon, on May 26, a neighbor strolls among the debris left by an Israeli airstrike.
More than three months after the battle started, Iranian media announced on Tuesday that Iran is considering a suggested deal with the White House to end their war.
The Strait of Hormuz is essentially closed as the conflict has solidified into a standoff and attempts to reach a temporary agreement have failed.
According to a source cited by Mehr News Agency, Iran has not yet responded to a proposed final language of the temporary agreement and is adopting a “stern” stance due to what it perceives as a history of US non-compliance and long-standing mistrust.
Trump stated on Monday that talks with Iran were ongoing and that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend a truce reached in early April will be reached over the course of the following week.
The US president has regularly stated since mid-March that he is nearing striking a peace accord, although doing so would delay difficult matters like Iran’s nuclear program.
Although there has been a ceasefire in place for the most part since early April, Iran and the US have traded strikes multiple times in the last week.
Tuesday saw a more than 1% decline in oil prices, reversing the significant gains from the day before.
Global oil stocks may reach historically low levels, according to a top International Energy Agency (IEA) official.
Toril Bosoni stated, “We’re seeing stock draws continuing into the summer, and with the possibility or likelihood that we…reach critical levels or historical low levels just ahead of the peak summer demand.”
Bosoni stated at the S&P Global Energy Middle East Petroleum and Gas Conference in London that, in the best-case scenario, reopening the Strait of Hormuz may take six to eight months.
“In any case, emergency stock releases are only a temporary stop-gap measure, they’re not going to solve this problem,” she continued. “That could make a further IEA-coordinated emergency stock release a possibility, but that is not currently being discussed as half of the initial 400 million-barrel coordinated release from March has yet to hit the market.” The cut would have to come from the demand side due to the size of the supply losses, according to Bosoni.
