Yasin Güngör
18 June 2026•Update: 18 June 2026
The long-standing strategic partnership between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has significantly deteriorated while the White House pursues a diplomatic exit from the war with Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“Why are you blowing up buildings," the US president reportedly asked Netanyahu during a tense phone call regarding Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Trump instructed the Israeli leader to “stop blowing up buildings,” expressing exhaustion with constant requests for expanded military action.
A senior US administration official familiar with the two leaders' calls said the discussions often involved the Israeli leader calling for more military action, and that Trump was tired of it.
Sources familiar with the discussions claim Trump has grown skeptical of Netanyahu’s accuracy, often fact-checking the prime minister's claims with aides, something he didn’t regularly do in the past, according to the Journal.
In one exchange, the US president reportedly labeled the Israeli leader “crazy” and suggested he would be “in prison” without American backing, referring to charges of corruption, bribery, and breach of trust that Netanyahu faces.
Excluded from diplomacy
The friction intensified as Washington moved to sign a peace deal with Tehran while largely sidelining Israeli input. According to the report, the draft of the US-Iran agreement was shown to Israeli officials days later.
While Netanyahu pushed for continued strikes on targets like Kharg Island, Trump remained focused on the conflict’s economic toll, reportedly fearing a global downturn comparable to the Great Depression, a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939.
Meanwhile, some White House officials questioned whether Netanyahu was trying to prolong hostilities to strengthen his own domestic political position.
Despite the reported friction, Trump characterized the relationship on Tuesday as an "amazing partnership," while acknowledging tactical differences regarding Lebanon. He described Netanyahu as a "very good man" who occasionally "gets a little excited" during military operations.
“I say you can do a little softer touch, Bibi,” Trump said, noting that he advised the Israeli leader that he does not have to “knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah.”
Trump reaffirmed the hierarchy of the alliance, stating that the Israeli leader recognizes the US as the "big partner."
The newspaper said the Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not respond to a request for comment, and a White House official said that bilateral relations were "great" before adding: “No country or leader pressures President Trump to do anything.”
