President Donald Trump said he directly confronted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israeli strikes on Beirut threatened to disrupt a peace deal with Iran that was set to be signed around the same time. Trump said he was “pissed off” about the military action, which took place on Sunday. He questioned why Israel carried out the strikes in response to a Hezbollah drone launch toward Galilee.
In an interview with Axios’s Barak Ravid, Trump described the conversation he had with Netanyahu after the strikes. He said, “Why did Bibi have to do a f—ing attack?” Trump added, “I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no f—ing judgement. I let him know that.” These remarks reflect how strongly Trump opposed the timing of the Israeli military action.
In a separate conversation with Trey Yingst, Trump gave more detail about what he said to the Israeli prime minister. He recounted asking Netanyahu directly, “What the f— are you doing?” The strikes came at a moment when diplomatic talks with Iran were at a critical stage, and Trump said the military activity in Lebanon caused serious friction in those efforts.
The Beirut strikes set back the Iran deal signing by hours, and Trump is now demanding a full standdown from all sides
Trump confirmed that the Israeli strikes did cause a delay to the signing, but said the broader agreement is still on track. Earlier in the day, Iran had cast doubt on the timing, with a deal to end US-Iran fighting set for Sunday already facing uncertainty before the Beirut strikes added further complications. Trump told Ravid, “It shook it up,” and explained, “It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now.”
Trump also addressed the issue publicly through a post on Truth Social. He wrote, “This morning’s attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.” While he acknowledged that Israel has the right to defend itself, he described the original provocation from Hezbollah as minor, saying the drone activity was “very small and meaningless,” and pointing out that “nobody was hurt, injured, or killed.”
According to Mediaite, Trump argued that such a minor incident should not have been allowed to interfere with ongoing diplomatic efforts. He said, “We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down.” He framed the potential agreement as something that could benefit the entire region, including Lebanon.
In his public statement, Trump called on all parties to stop military activity while the deal moves toward being signed. He demanded that Israel carry out no further attacks inside Lebanon, and also called on Hezbollah to halt its operations against Israel. He presented the moment as a major opportunity that should not be wasted.
Trump closed his remarks on the matter by writing, “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace, Let’s not blow it!” Trump later announced a complete ceasefire with Iran, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and pulling the US naval blockade, effective immediately.
Published: Jun 15, 2026 08:15 am