00:06White House and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office are trying to do damage control
00:12over a report that claimed Donald Trump exploded at the Israeli leader, calling him crazy.
00:20Trump has made first comments, saying he did not say those things to Bibi.
00:37The denial comes after Axios published a report citing American officials and sources briefed on the call.
00:46According to that report, Trump was furious over Israel's planned escalation in Lebanon
00:52and allegedly used strong language while speaking to Netanyahu.
00:57Axios claimed Trump called the Israeli Prime Minister crazy
01:02and warned that military action in Beirut could damage ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Iran.
01:10The report also alleged that Trump told Netanyahu,
01:14you'd be in prison if it weren't for me,
01:17and claimed the president warned that Israel was becoming increasingly isolated internationally.
01:24But Netanyahu's team is now strongly rejecting those claims.
01:29They insist no such remarks were made during the conversation.
01:34At the center of the dispute is Israel's military response against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
01:40Reports suggest Trump personally intervened to prevent a wider escalation
01:46after Israeli plans targeted Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut.
01:52American officials reportedly feared that a major strike could undermine efforts
01:57to maintain regional stability and complicate talks involving Iran.
02:03Despite the controversy, Trump publicly describes his conversation with Netanyahu in very different terms.
02:11Posting on Truth Social, Trump called the discussion very productive.
02:16He also said both sides had agreed to avoid further attacks
02:21and indicated that diplomatic efforts had helped prevent a broader confrontation.
02:27Trump later acknowledged there had been what he called a little glitch during the day,
02:32but added that he turned the situation around very quickly.
02:37Meanwhile, Lebanon's embassy in Washington said Hezbollah had accepted a U.S.-backed proposal
02:44for a reciprocal halt in attacks.
02:47Under that arrangement, Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs would stop
02:52while Hezbollah would refrain from launching attacks against Israel.
02:57For now, the key question remains unanswered.
03:01Did Trump privately unleash an angry and expletive-filled warning to Netanyahu,
03:07as Axial's reports?
03:09Or is the Israeli prime minister's team correct
03:12in saying those explosive claims never happened?
03:16What is clear is that the reported disagreement
03:19has once again put the spotlight on the complex relationship
03:24between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
03:27at a critical moment for the Middle East?
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