Trump, Netanyahu Clash Over Possible Beirut Suburb Strikes

Former U.S. President Donald Trump confronted then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call on Monday over Israel’s threat to resume airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to a report cited in the source material. The call came as Iran said on Tuesday it would suspend peace talks with the United States over Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon. Israeli media later disputed key details of the reported exchange.

The report said Netanyahu had ordered the Israeli military to prepare for renewed strikes on the Dahiya area of Beirut, where Israel has said it is targeting Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia. The Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation warnings to civilians in parts of southern Beirut, prompting thousands of people to flee, the source said.

An unnamed U.S. official, as described in the source, summarized Trump’s remarks as sharply critical of Netanyahu’s approach and the political damage it could cause. The source also cited profane language attributed to Trump during the call; those details were contested in subsequent Israeli reporting.

Iran pauses talks as Lebanon conflict widens

Iran’s Tuesday announcement that it would pause negotiations was tied to its demand that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire arrangement, according to the source. The same proposed framework was described as intended to facilitate talks on opening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

The source said the pause would freeze discussions days after Trump indicated negotiators had reached a preliminary deal that he was considering whether to sign. The report linked the diplomatic track to the regional escalation around Lebanon and cross-border attacks involving Hezbollah and Israel.

Israeli reporting disputes the account of the call

Israel’s Channel 12 challenged the characterization of the phone call, according to the source. Amit Segal, described as the network’s chief political analyst, said Trump did not personally attack Netanyahu and that an understanding was reached: Israel would refrain from striking Beirut’s suburbs if Hezbollah stopped its attacks on Israel.

The episode underscores strains in U.S.-Israeli relations as the Lebanon conflict continues and both leaders face domestic political pressures, the source said.

Officials in the region and Washington are expected to face renewed scrutiny over whether the diplomatic track can resume and whether military activity around Beirut and southern Lebanon will intensify.