Washington: US President Donald Trump reportedly delivered a sharp rebuke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call, amid efforts to revive peace talks linked to the Iran conflict.
According to the report, the US and Israel had temporarily paused the war with Iran to facilitate negotiations. As part of that understanding, Israel was also expected to halt strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, a group described as operating with Iran’s support.
However, Israel allegedly continued attacks on Lebanon, after which Iran refused to take part in the peace talks. The report said Trump viewed Israel’s military actions as undermining Washington’s attempt to bring the Iran war to an end.
During the call, Trump—who is usually seen as supportive of Netanyahu—was said to have used harsh language and dominated the conversation, accusing Netanyahu of acting recklessly and damaging Israel’s standing internationally.
Following the exchange, Israeli military officials reportedly acknowledged that large-scale airstrikes planned on Beirut were hurriedly called off.
