President Donald Trump claimed a diplomatic breakthrough on Monday, announcing that he had successfully pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw troops from the vicinity of Beirut. According to data from the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israeli operations in Lebanon since March have resulted in 3,433 deaths and 10,395 injuries.
Reports from Axios indicate the conversation between the two leaders was exceptionally volatile. Sources told the outlet that Trump berated the Prime Minister, at one point shouting, “What the f*** are you doing?” over Israel’s decision to flatten buildings to target individual commanders. Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” citing the disproportionate nature of the military response.
While Netanyahu publicly maintained that Israel’s position remains unchanged, a U.S. official described the call as a moment where Trump “steamrolled” the Prime Minister, leading to a reported agreement from Netanyahu: “OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of.” Trump later announced on Truth Social that Netanyahu had “turned his troops around” following the request to avoid a major raid on the Lebanese capital.
The diplomatic path remains fraught with instability, as Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned Lebanon’s Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri that if Israel’s aggression continues, Tehran will halt all negotiations with the U.S. and enter into “direct confrontation with the enemy.” This threat follows a chaotic 18-hour window on June 1, during which Iran suspended all mediator-channel negotiations, fired two ballistic missiles at the Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and announced through the Tasnim news agency that it intended to block the Strait of Hormuz and activate the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Analysts note that these Iranian escalations, which caused Brent crude prices to surge 6.7 percent to $97.23 a barrel, were directed at a bloc of Republican senators—including Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Roger Wicker, and Lindsey Graham—who have obstructed a proposed memorandum of understanding with the White House. The pressure campaign aims to demonstrate the economic and military costs of failing to reach a deal before the Senate can vote on the matter.
Despite the friction, Trump claimed in a separate Truth Social post that talks with Iran are continuing “at a rapid pace.” Meanwhile, U.S. officials confirmed that both Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting. The situation remains fragile, with Israel’s commitment to a ceasefire described by Al Jazeera as conditional and subject to shifting regional dynamics.
