President Donald Trump confirmed calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘f***ing crazy’ in a heated phone call over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, exposing a rare rift between the two world leaders.The New York Post’s Miranda Devine asked Trump on her "Pod Force One" podcast whether he had called Netanyahu "f***ing crazy" and told him that he would be in prison if it weren’t for Trump."I did," Trump said.Trump's confirmation marked a rare public acknowledgment of a dispute with Netanyahu, whom he has long described as a close ally.'BIBI'S HAIR ON FIRE': TRUMP-NETANYAHU PUBLIC 'RIFT' MASKED UNIFIED FRONT AGAINST IRAN, ANALYST SAYSU.S.President Donald Trump (L) greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House on Sept.
29, 2025 in Washington, D.C.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)The disagreement centers on Israel's escalating military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli officials say the operations are aimed at degrading Hezbollah infrastructure after the Iranian-backed group continued launching rocket and drone attacks against Israeli territory despite ceasefire efforts.Lebanese officials, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, relayed to the U.S.that Hezbollah would halt missile attacks on Israel if Israel refrained from striking Beirut, creating what the administration saw as an opening for a broader ceasefire.
But the arrangement quickly unraveled after Hezbollah launched additional rocket barrages toward Israel, later claiming it did not believe the ceasefire had yet taken effect.Israel subsequently resumed strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.While Israel's campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon and U.S.-Iran negotiations may appear to be separate issues, Iranian officials have explicitly linked the two.
Hezbollah is Tehran's most powerful regional proxy, and Iranian officials have warned that continued Israeli operations in Lebanon could jeopardize talks with Washington while in...