Trump acknowledges calling Netanyahu 'crazy,' says Israel is complicating peace talks with Iran

By — Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press By — Josh Boak, Associated Press Josh Boak, Associated Press By — Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-acknowledges-calling-netanyahu-crazy-says-israel-is-complicating-peace-talks-with-iran Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump acknowledges calling Netanyahu 'crazy,' says Israel is complicating peace talks with Iran World Jun 3, 2026 2:13 PM EDT BEIRUT (AP) — President Donald Trump acknowledged criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "crazy" in a phone call that involved expletives, saying he was "a little bit perturbed" that Israel's fighting with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran. READ MORE: Iran strikes Kuwait's main airport and kills 1 as ceasefire is tested again But even as the U.S. president conceded the tensions in an interview released Wednesday, he insisted that his relationship with Netanyahu was solid and that they connected, in part, because they are both "wartime" leaders. "We've worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him," Trump told The New York Post's "Pod Force One." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. In an interview on the American business-news channel CNBC, Netanyahu responded that he and Trump sometimes have "tactical disagreements" but have "common goals" and "agree on the main things." "He respects me. I respect him. We always find a way to work out our differences," the prime minister said. READ MORE: Iranian reports: Iran stops talking to mediators over Israel fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon The president's comments about the Monday call offered a sign of the growing pressure he faces to resolve the Iran war as higher energy prices and economic uncertainty threaten Republican prospects in the midterm elections and hamper global commerce. Talks have dragged on for weeks as mediators seek to extend a fragile ceasefire into a more enduring truce. The negotiations are further strained by Israel's broadening war with the Iranian-backed militia group in Lebanon. The conflicts have become increasingly intertwined as Iran insists that any potential truce in the war there must also quell the fighting in Lebanon. Trump does not commit to timeline for ending Iran war Trump remained noncommittal about a timeline for settling the Iran conflict, saying the Strait of Hormuz might stay blocked through the Labor Day holiday on Sept. 7. He has insisted that Iran stop any efforts that could lead to a nuclear weapon and that the strait be reopened for shipments of oil and natural gas. "I don't know. I mean, I think it could be (closed through Labor Day), but I think it's unlikely. I think that we'll have it. I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly