Trump confirms heated exchange with Netanyahu over Lebanon

US President Donald Trump has confirmed reports of a heated exchange with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, acknowledging that he used strong language during a phone call as he sought to curb Israeli military action in Lebanon.

In an interview published by the New York Post on Wednesday, Trump was asked about reports that he had confronted Netanyahu over Israel's continued fighting with Hezbollah and threats to strike the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

"You said, 'Are you f***ing crazy? What are you f***ing doing? I helped you stay out of jail.' Is that true? Did you speak to him in those terms?" the interviewer asked.

"I did," Trump replied. "I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon."

Trump said he urged the Israeli leader to de-escalate the situation, telling the newspaper's podcast, "I said, 'Bibi, we gotta stop this.'"

The comments provide a rare public glimpse into tensions between the two leaders, who have long presented a united front despite occasional disagreements behind closed doors.

Trump describes call as 'very productive'

Trump nevertheless sought to emphasise that relations between the two remain strong.

"We've worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him," he said.

According to reports by Axios and ABC News, Trump was angered by Israeli threats to target Beirut, fearing that further escalation in Lebanon could undermine efforts to revive negotiations with Iran aimed at ending the wider regional conflict.

Reports on Tuesday revealed that Trump had also said to Netanyahu, "I'm saving your a***. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this."

Despite the reported disagreement, Trump described both himself and Netanyahu as leaders operating in wartime circumstances and maintained that cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem remained intact.

After the phone call on Sunday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to describe it as "a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel."

The exchange comes as the US continues efforts to secure a broader settlement in the Middle East.

Trump has repeatedly said that Iran must abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons and that shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.

Asked whether disruption to traffic through the strategic waterway could continue through the Labor Day holiday in September, Trump said: "I don't know. I mean, I think it could be (closed through Labor Day), but I think it's unlikely. I think that we'll have it. I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly."