‘You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me’: Trump reportedly cursed at Netanyahu during a heated call as Iran deal stalls

President Donald Trump reportedly had a tense phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He reportedly used aggressive language and profanity while demanding a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the armed group based in Lebanon.

According to Axios, Iran had threatened to abandon its negotiations with the U.S. over Israel’s actions in Lebanon. Israel had reportedly been expanding its ground operation in southern Lebanon in the days leading up to the call.

The talk reportedly became more heated as Trump showed his frustration with the current military situation. The reported exchange centered on Israel’s recent operations against Hezbollah and the toll they have reportedly taken in Lebanon.

Reported quotes from the call and the dispute over Hezbollah

During the exchange, Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, “You’re f—ing crazy,” and then added, “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your a–. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” according to two U.S. officials who spoke to Axios. A third source said to be familiar with the call told the outlet that Trump appeared angry and reportedly yelled, “What the f— are you doing?”

The disagreement appears to stem from Trump’s reported belief that Israel’s recent escalation against Hezbollah was disproportionate. According to Axios, he was said to be concerned about the high number of civilian deaths and the widespread destruction of infrastructure reportedly carried out to target individual commanders.

This military approach has reportedly created a significant problem for the administration. According to sources cited by Axios, it has effectively stalled talks for a peace deal with Iran. The push for an agreement had already faced complications, with Trump reportedly requesting changes to what his envoys agreed to. Tehran has since reportedly paused those talks, saying any agreement with the U.S. must also address the situation in Lebanon.

In public, the two leaders apparently offered different accounts of the call. Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday to describe it as “very productive.” He claimed to have spoken with Hezbollah and said they had agreed to stop all shooting, and that any troops heading to Beirut had already been turned back. In a later post, he said he hoped the end of fighting would last for an eternity.

Netanyahu, however, offered a different account on X roughly two and a half hours later. According to his post, he said he had told Trump that if Hezbollah does not stop attacking Israeli cities and citizens, Israel will continue striking terror targets in Beirut. He stressed that this position had not changed and that the Israel Defense Forces would continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon.

According to The Daily Beast, political analyst David Axelrod suggested that the war has created a serious political problem for the president, particularly around the rising cost of living for Americans.

Axelrod further claimed that Trump appears frustrated because he reportedly feels he was misled about how straightforward the conflict would be, and noted that the president had earlier allegedly overridden concerns raised by advisers about the potential difficulties of the campaign. Both leaders are said to be continuing to manage their public messaging amid private disagreements.

Apparently, Trump has sought to frame the call as a step toward peace, even as some Republicans called his Iran deal a mistake. The reported stalling of talks and the alleged tone of the call suggest the relationship between the two allies may be under significant strain. For now, the administration appears to be managing the fallout from a conflict that has become a major point of contention in international policy.