Trump ‘shouted and cursed Netanyahu over threat to resume Beirut bombing’

Donald Trump angrily confronted Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s threats to resume airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to a report. “What the fuck are you doing?” the US president shouted at the Israeli prime minister during the phone call on Monday, according to Axios, a US website that has frequently published reports on high-level conversations between the two leaders. The report, which has been contested in Israeli media, cited a US official summarising Trump’s remarks to Netanyahu: “You’re fucking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.” The phone call came after Netanyahu had ordered the Israeli military to resume bombing the southern Dahiya area of Beirut to target Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia which has launched drone strikes into Israel. The Israel Defense Forces told Lebanese civilians to evacuate areas of southern Beirut, causing thousands of people to flee. Iran said on Tuesday that it would suspend peace talks with the US over Israel’s ongoing campaign in southern Lebanon . Tehran insisted Lebanon should be covered by a ceasefire agreement meant to facilitate negotiations to open the strait of Hormuz and lift a US blockade of Iranian ports. …