President Donald Trump reportedly had a heated phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, urging him to avoid further military escalation against Hezbollah as tensions threatened to derail ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.
According to a report from Axios, Trump became increasingly frustrated during the call after Israel authorized strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut. The military action came amid heightened regional tensions and concerns that renewed fighting could undermine negotiations involving Iran and the United States.
Sources familiar with the conversation told Axios that Trump used unusually blunt language while pressing Netanyahu to scale back Israel’s response. One official summarized the president’s remarks as including sharp criticism of the Israeli leader’s actions and warnings that continued escalation could damage both Israel’s international standing and broader diplomatic efforts in the region.
Another source described Trump as sounding “pissed” during the exchange and said the president largely dominated the conversation. According to that account, Netanyahu ultimately appeared receptive to Trump’s concerns, responding by indicating he would ensure the situation was addressed.
The dispute centered on Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut, a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group. The attacks followed reports that Hezbollah fighters had launched attacks against Israeli forces. While Trump reportedly acknowledged Hezbollah’s role in provoking the confrontation, he was said to be concerned that Israel’s response risked expanding the conflict and jeopardizing delicate negotiations involving Tehran.
𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐘 𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐓: 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏-𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐀𝐇𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 — “𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆” 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐃
Fox News’s Trey Yingst with the actual transcript of the Trump-Netanyahu call that paused the Lebanon raid, per Axios sources:… pic.twitter.com/5zRwk0CZHO
— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) June 2, 2026
Shortly after the call, Trump took to Truth Social to publicly describe the conversation in much more positive terms.
“I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel,” Trump wrote. He added that there would be no Israeli troops entering Beirut and claimed that any forces already moving toward the city had been turned back.
Trump also stated that communication with Hezbollah representatives had resulted in an agreement to halt hostilities.
“Through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel,” the president wrote.
Despite Trump’s optimistic assessment, Netanyahu signaled that Israel’s military posture had not fundamentally changed.
Following the conversation, the Israeli prime minister said he informed Trump that Israel would continue to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks. Netanyahu stated that if Hezbollah continued targeting Israeli cities and civilians, Israel would respond by striking terrorist targets in Beirut.
“This stance of ours remains unchanged,” Netanyahu said.
He also emphasized that the Israel Defense Forces would continue operations in southern Lebanon as planned.
The differing public messages highlight what appears to be a growing tension between Washington and Jerusalem over how to handle Hezbollah and regional security concerns. While the Trump administration is reportedly focused on preventing a wider conflict that could complicate negotiations with Iran, Israeli leaders continue to insist they will take military action when they believe national security is threatened.
