Trump blocks Israel's Beirut strike in furious call with Netanyahu
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- Trump lashed out at Netanyahu in an expletive-laden call, calling him 'crazy' and accusing him of ingratitude, claiming he had saved Netanyahu from prison.
- Trump blocked Israel’s planned strikes on Beirut, warning that attacking the Lebanese capital would further isolate Israel internationally.
- U.S. officials said Trump was angered by Israel’s disproportionate escalation in Lebanon, including civilian casualties and destruction of buildings to target individual Hezbollah commanders.
- Israeli officials confirmed that Israel has scrapped plans to strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut following the call with Trump.
- Netanyahu stated after the call that Israel would continue operations in southern Lebanon and reserve the right to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks persist.
- Iran threatened to abandon U.S. negotiations earlier on the same day, increasing pressure on Trump to rein in Israel’s actions in Lebanon.
Why it matters: Trump’s direct intervention halts a major Israeli military escalation, protecting his Iran diplomacy from collapse. The U.S. now holds leverage over Israel’s war conduct, with civilian toll and global opinion cited as decisive factors by the president himself.
