'You'd be in prison if not for me': Trump blasts Netanyahu over Israeli strikes on Lebanon, tells Bibi 'everyone hates him'

US President Donald Trump reportedly lambasted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a heated phone call on Monday over Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

Trump held Netanyahu responsible for all the hate Israel is getting globally adding that Israeli military actions are fuelling international hostility, Axios reported citing a source and two US officials.

The heated exchange came after Iran warned the US that it could suspend diplomatic engagement with Washington over ongoing military operations in Lebanon.

During the call, Trump expressed anger over Israel's response to Hezbollah attacks and reportedly shouted at Netanyahu, asking, "What the f*** are you doing?"

One US official quoted Trump as telling Netanyahu: “You're f*****g crazy. You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your ass.”

According to the Axios report, an US official said Trump was particularly frustrated by what he viewed as a disproportionate military response, including the destruction of entire buildings to eliminate a single Hezbollah commander.

The US President also objected to Israel's escalating threats against Beirut, the report said.

The report further stated that Trump warned Netanyahu, saying, "everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this," citing another source.

Despite the confrontation, Netanyahu's office later issued a statement saying Israel's position "remains the same".

However, a US official said that Trump had effectively "steamrolled" the Israeli leader during the conversation.

"Bibi (Netanyahu) said, 'OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of',"Axios quoted.

Another administration official described the exchange as one of Trump's most difficult conversations with Netanyahu since the start of his second term in office.

Following the call, Trump took to Truth Social to publicly discuss the outcome of his intervention. In one post, he claimed that Netanyahu had "turned his Troops around" after he personally urged the Israeli Prime Minister "not to go into a major raid of Beirut".

Trump also indicated that the US was continuing diplomatic efforts with Iran despite the tensions in the region.

In a subsequent post, he wrote that negotiations with Tehran were continuing "at a rapid pace".