United States President Donald Trump has confirmed repos that he used the expletive “f***ing crazy” to describe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tense phone call concerning Israel’s military actions in Lebanon. The conversation repoedly centered on planned strikes in Beirut.
Heated Exchange Over Lebanon Operations
During an appearance on the New York Post’s ‘Pod Force One’ podcast, President Trump acknowledged the strong language. When questioned about referring to Netanyahu as “f***ing crazy,” he stated, “I did.” He elaborated that he was “a little bit peurbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon,” adding, “At some point I said, ‘We gotta stop this. We gotta stop it.’”
Earlier repos indicated that Trump had urged Netanyahu to halt planned strikes on Beirut, expressing concern that fuher escalation could jeopardize ongoing negotiations with Iran and a fragile regional ceasefire. Despite the heated exchange, Trump maintained that his relationship with the Israeli leader remains “very good.” He also dismissed suggestions that Netanyahu had manipulated him into conflict with Iran, identifying those making such claims as “the enemy.”
Escalation in Southern Lebanon
In recent days, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Lebanon, conducting strikes aimed at Hezbollah commanders and infrastructure. Israeli forces have advanced fuher into southern Lebanon, repoedly capturing Beaufo Castle, a historic foress overlooking the Litani River.
Lebanese health authorities repoed on Wednesday that over 3,500 individuals have been killed in Israeli attacks since early March. This escalation has drawn criticism from Tehran, which asses that the US-Iran ceasefire framework extends to Lebanon.
Iranian Warnings and Regional Tensions
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a warning on Tuesday, stating that continued Israeli operations could undermine diplomatic effos. He wrote on X that “If the Israeli aggression against Lebanon continues, we will not only halt the path of negotiations, but we will also be in direct confrontation with the enemy.”
These tensions arise as an eight-week-old ceasefire between Iran and the United States faces increased strain. US Central Command announced it conducted “self-defense strikes” on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Wednesday. In response, the IRGC repoed targeting US-linked assets in the Gulf, citing recent American attacks. Kuwait International Airpo was repoedly affected during this exchange.

