Trump 'a little bit perturbed' by Israel's fight with Hezbollah

June 3 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday that even though he works "very well" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he "was a little bit perturbed" by Israel's frequent fighting with Lebanon.

Trump made the comments during an appearance on the Pod Force One podcast with The New York Post's Miranda Devine. He said he called Netanyahu "[expletive] crazy" during a Monday phone call with him.

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

"We've worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot," Trump added, using a nickname for Netanyahu. "And I work very well with him."

Israel and the United States, together, launched attacks against Iran beginning Feb. 28, shortly before Israel also began trading fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The fighting with Hezbollah has complicated cease-fire negotiations with Iran, with Tehran insisting that Israel stop its actions in Lebanon.

Trump brokered a partial cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, but the two sides exchanged fire as recently as Tuesday. The U.S. president said he was frustrated by the conflict with Hezbollah, but he's confident there will be a deal with Iran "fairly quickly."

Netanyahu, meanwhile, also spoke about his relationship with Trump in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday. He said that thought that have "tactical disagreements" about how to handle the conflicts, they "agree on many things."

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 9:12 AM.