Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives at the White House, May 31, 2026, in Washington.Alex Brandon/AP Photo
President Donald Trump used profanity towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call lasting approximately 15 minutes on Monday, several individuals with knowledge of the conversation informed ABC News. The president expressed displeasure regarding Israel’s heightened actions in Lebanon, which posed a risk to the current administration’s ongoing diplomatic efforts with Iran.
Trump characterized Netanyahu as unappreciative and referred to him as “insane,” according to sources privy to the discussion.
At one juncture during the heated exchange, Trump inquired of Netanyahu, “What the f— are you doing?”
The report of the expletive-laden call was initially broken by Axios.
News surfaced on Monday that Iran was contemplating withdrawing from negotiations due to Israeli activities in Lebanon, where the Israel Defense Forces are in conflict with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.
Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives at the White House, May 31, 2026, in Washington.Alex Brandon/AP Photo
“The Iranian delegation will halt ‘discussions and the exchange of written communications via intermediaries,'” stated the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi neither confirmed nor denied the report but posted on X, asserting that a “truce between Iran and the U.S. unequivocally signifies a truce on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also issued a statement indicating that Iran “views the transgression of red lines in Lebanon and Gaza as a declaration of direct war.”
Trump dismissed these warnings, asserting his indifference. “I couldn’t care less,” he stated.
However, behind the scenes, the president communicated to senior administration officials his desire to engage with Netanyahu. He was incensed that an escalation in Lebanon could jeopardize any headway in the talks. The president had recently finalized revisions to a proposed peace accord and dispatched it to Iran for review.
Following Monday’s call, Netanyahu issued a statement: “I conversed with President Trump this evening and informed him that should Hezbollah persist in attacking our cities and populace, Israel will target terror sites in Beirut.”
“Our stance remains unchanged. Concurrently, the IDF will persist with its planned operations in southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu added.
Monday’s call was not the initial instance of a strained conversation between Trump and Netanyahu. Trump’s exasperation with Netanyahu had previously surfaced when Israel undertook actions against Iran and its proxies, but Monday’s dialogue further highlighted the administration’s concern that its ongoing negotiations with Iran were being jeopardized.
Following the call on Monday afternoon, Trump posted on social media that discussions with Iran were progressing at a “brisk pace.”
Later on Monday, the president adopted a markedly different tone concerning Netanyahu.
“I had a conversation with Bibi Netanyahu today, asking him not to initiate a major incursion into Beirut, Lebanon. He rerouted his forces. Thank you, Bibi!,” the president shared on social media.
ABC News has reached out to the White House seeking comment.
ABC News’ Jordana Miller contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com