An escalation of tension is far from pleasing Donald Trump, who has been hoping for weeks to finally secure a deal with Iran and escape endless peace negotiations. During a telephone call Monday evening, the White House occupant did not mince his words with the Israeli Prime Minister, two sources told the American outlet Axios. “You’re completely insane,” he snapped, according to remarks reported and summarized by an official.
Donald Trump also claimed to have assisted his ally regarding the long-running trial over three corruption cases in which the latter is entangled. Netanyahu is even hoping for a presidential pardon, an initiative supported by the American president. “You would be in prison without me. I’m saving your skin. Everyone hates you now. Everyone hates Israel because of this,” Trump added, according to the same source. “Furious,” the leader reportedly screamed at his ally, “What the hell are you doing?” according to a second source.
Yet, despite diplomatic announcements, fighting continues on the ground. Following a day of heavy tension in South Lebanon, marked by Israeli strikes and the evacuation of Beirut’s southern suburbs under the threat of bombardment, and as Iran warns of opening “new fronts” if its “red lines” are crossed, Donald Trump spoke on June 1 with Benjamin Netanyahu during an exchange characterized as “very productive.” The American president asserted on Truth Social that the Israeli Prime Minister had committed to not sending troops into Beirut and that those already en route had turned back. Immediately after, Axios described a particularly strained conversation between the two leaders. According to the US media outlet, Donald Trump labeled Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” and leveled sharp rebukes at him. “What the fuck are you doing? You are completely insane! You’ll be in jail without me. I’m saving your ass,” he reportedly yelled. The US president also claims to have had an indirect exchange with Hezbollah, which he portrays as having accepted a “total ceasefire.” “Israel will not attack them and they will not attack Israel,” he wrote. Words, but no actions.
A diplomatic source mentions a draft mutual ceasefire providing for the cessation of Israeli attacks against Beirut’s southern suburbs in exchange for an end to retaliatory strikes by Hezbollah, with a possible extension to the entirety of Lebanon. But on the ground, Israel continues its military raids and aerial bombardments. On the Lebanese side, Hezbollah, speaking through Hassan Fadlallah, conditions any truce on a full Israeli withdrawal, while a source within the movement asserts it will not stop its retaliatory firing. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri spoke of a possible ceasefire independent of a comprehensive agreement with Iran: “An agreement separate from Iran or with Iran, it doesn’t matter.”
Threatening to open “new fronts,” Tehran reiterated Monday that it conditions any peace agreement with the United States on a ceasefire in the Land of the Cedars. A truce there is theoretically in effect since April 17, but combat between Israel and Hezbollah is in reality an almost daily occurrence, particularly in the south of the country. Benjamin Netanyahu sought to ramp up the pressure on the pro-Iranian Lebanese movement even further by threatening Monday to strike its stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs, following several weeks of relative calm in the capital. This comes even as a new cycle of negotiations between the Israeli and Lebanese governments opens Tuesday in Washington.