Relations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have fallen to what the article describes as an unprecedented low in recent weeks, culminating in a fraught diplomatic moment as Washington moved toward an agreement with Iran. A detailed Wall Street Journal report says the two leaders held angry phone calls over the American effort to end the military confrontation with Iran, with Trump frustrated by the war’s economic toll on the United States, especially higher fuel prices, while Netanyahu pushed for continued pressure and urged Washington to delay diplomatic steps.
In one call about the fighting in Lebanon, Trump reportedly snapped at Netanyahu, saying, “Why are you blowing up buildings? Stop blowing up buildings.” According to the report, Trump also told associates that Netanyahu was a “*** crazy” and said that without Trump’s backing, Netanyahu would have ended up in prison. U.S. officials reportedly questioned whether the fighting was being prolonged for domestic political reasons in Israel.
Jerusalem was surprised by the ceasefire announcement, believing the Trump administration was still inclined to approve more strikes. Netanyahu warned Trump against signing a deal that could not be properly monitored and asked, “Donald, how do you intend to make sure of that?” He also sought an urgent meeting once it became clear the agreement was being finalized without coordination. The breakdown follows a period of unusually close security cooperation, including a gold-plated replica of the pagers used against Hezbollah fighters that was given to Trump during the war.
The public tensions came as the United States and Iran signed a formal memorandum of understanding overnight at the Palace of Versailles in France. Under the terms, Tehran will fully open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, while Washington will lift its economic blockade and allow oil sales to resume on international markets. Discussions on the nuclear issue were postponed for the next two months. Iranian officials hailed the deal as a victory, with parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf saying, “Our finger is on the trigger. The memorandum is a document of America’s defeat.” Iran’s foreign ministry said the country’s missile capabilities are not up for discussion. Follow-up talks are set to begin tomorrow in Switzerland, where representatives of the countries will meet in Bürgenstock with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan.
