President Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a strike on Beirut that nearly derailed a U.S.-Iran peace deal, saying Netanyahu has “no fucking judgment” and expressing frustration that Israel acted just before the agreement was set to be signed.
Trump told Axios the deal remained on track despite the escalation. “It is so bad — I couldn’t believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal,” Trump said, referring to Israel’s strike on Lebanon’s capital. “Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that.”
The U.S. and Iran announced a framework agreement on June 14, 2026, ending more than three months of war that had disrupted global shipping. The memorandum of understanding is scheduled for formal signing on June 19 in Switzerland, according to multiple sources including Le Monde.
Deal Terms and Israel’s Rejection
The interim agreement calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz immediately and includes a 60-day ceasefire during which the U.S. and Iran will negotiate a final deal addressing Iran’s nuclear program, according to reporting from Al Jazeera and NBC News. Trump said the Strait would be “open to all” with no tolls and shipping would be restored within approximately 30 days.
But Israel has refused to accept the deal’s terms. Netanyahu’s defense minister, Israel Katz, declared that Israeli troops would remain deployed in buffer zones Israel has seized in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza “indefinitely,” according to Reuters. Katz also warned: “If Iran attacks Israel due to the events in Lebanon – we will attack it with all our might.”
A senior Israeli official told Reuters the preliminary agreement is “terrible for Israel” and that “there is no one in the Israeli leadership who views it otherwise, from the prime minister to the chief of staff.” Reuters reported that Israeli officials believe the 60-day negotiating period will likely be extended, tying Israel’s hands from military action while its security concerns remain unresolved.
Netanyahu and Trump have clashed repeatedly over Israel’s refusal to constrain its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a key Iranian demand in the ceasefire. Earlier in June, Trump called Netanyahu “fucking crazy” in an angry phone call, ordering him not to strike Beirut while negotiations were underway, according to Reuters. Netanyahu called off attacks that day but struck Beirut’s southern suburbs a week later, prompting Iranian missile strikes on Israel and a public rebuke from Trump.
The dispute reflects a stark divergence between the two leaders. Netanyahu bet that a joint war with Trump would topple Iran’s clerical rulers and bolster his standing ahead of Israeli elections, according to Reuters. Trump, by contrast, is seeking to extricate himself from the conflict. Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel now with the Atlantic Council think tank, told Reuters that Netanyahu will likely “indicate Israel is not bound by it, and Israel reserves its rights” rather than openly oppose the deal and risk a confrontation with Trump.
Sources
- Axios — Trump’s direct quotes criticizing Netanyahu and confirmation the deal remained on track despite the Beirut strike
- Reuters — Netanyahu and Trump’s collision course, Israeli officials’ assessments of the deal, Katz’s statement on maintaining troops in Lebanon, and prior clashes over strikes
- Le Monde — Signing date of June 19, 2026, in Switzerland
- Al Jazeera — Deal terms including 60-day ceasefire and nuclear negotiations
- NBC News — Strait of Hormuz reopening timeline and restoration of prewar shipping within 30 days
- Atlantic Council — Expert analysis on the interim agreement framework
