U.S. ​President Donald Trump acknowledged calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” in an expletive-filled phone exchange over fighting in Lebanon, while the ‌U.S. was trying to negotiate an end to hostilities with Iran.

In an interview broadcast on Wednesday, Trump was asked whether he had called the longtime Israeli leader “effing crazy” and accused him of ingratitude, paraphrasing a report by Axios, according to Reuters.

“I did,” Trump told the “Pod Force One” podcast. “I wouldn’t say angry. I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with ​Lebanon, you know.”

Trump went on to say he and Netanyahu get along very well.

According to the Axios report, which cited an unidentified ​U.S. official, Trump said to Netanyahu in a call on Monday: “You’re fucking crazy. You’d be in prison if it ⁠weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”

Trump said in the interview: “At some point, I said, ​Bibi, we got to stop this. We got to stop it.”

NETANYAHU CITES COMMON GOALS

Netanyahu, asked about the Axios report, declined to offer details of the conversation ​but said his relationship with Trump had not changed.

“We have common goals. Sometimes we have, as in the best of families, you have these tactical disagreements,” he said in an interview on CNBC on Wednesday.

“He’s been the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House, and he respects me; I respect him. We always find a ​way to work out our differences.”

Iran has said it will not agree to a deal with the United States to end the war that ​Trump and Netanyahu launched in late February unless a ceasefire also covers Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March in pursuit of the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia that fired across the ‌border in ⁠support of Tehran.

Hostilities have continued despite a U.S.-mediated agreement announced on Monday that led Israel to step back from attacking the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Iran-backed group to halt cross-border strikes.

Israeli drone strikes killed at least six people in southern Lebanon and targeted a car south of Beirut on Wednesday, Lebanese security sources said. Israel said it intercepted a hostile aircraft likely fired by Hezbollah.

Trump bristled when asked if Netanyahu “tricked” him into attacking Iran, saying ​his critics were “the enemy.”

“I mean, I’m ​the one that started it,” Trump ⁠said. “I started because we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”

“Now that pertains to Israel, because they probably would have been the first one to get hit. There would be no Israel. Tell you what, if there wasn’t ​me, there would be no Israel right now.”

Trump maintained that Israel would have been in a far worse position ​if he had ⁠not abandoned a 2015 accord reached by President Barack Obama and other world leaders with Iran, under which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

After Trump withdrew from that deal during his first White House term in 2018, Iran produced stockpiles of near-weapons-grade highly enriched uranium, which ⁠Trump now ​demands it relinquish. Trump’s critics say Iran is now closer to making a nuclear weapon, ​and it will be hard for Trump to negotiate a better deal.

Trump has used expletives about Israel in the past, including publicly saying last year that Israel and Iran “don’t know what the ​fuck they are doing.”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, during which the two leaders discussed Syria’s economic recovery and recent regional developments, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency.

During the call, Sharaa emphasized that lifting the remaining U.S. sanctions on Syria is essential for reviving the country’s economy and attracting foreign investment.

Although Washington has dismantled much of its sanctions regime on Syria and repealed the Caesar Act, U.S. officials have stated that certain sanctions remain in place. These measures continue to target former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, his associates, individuals accused of human rights violations, alleged captagon traffickers, and other actors the United States considers destabilizing to the region.

The U.S. administration is also reviewing Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, a status that imposes restrictions on foreign assistance, defense exports, and financial transactions.

Analysts view the removal of the remaining sanctions as a critical step toward the success of Syria’s new government and broader economic recovery efforts.

Several Saudi companies are reportedly preparing multi-billion-dollar investments in Syria as part of Riyadh’s support for reconstruction and economic development. Other Gulf nations have also pledged financial assistance to help stabilize the country after years of conflict.

The phone call comes amid growing regional efforts to support Syria’s reintegration into the international community and encourage economic rebuilding.

U.S. Defence Secretary ​Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China’s growing power and prevent its dominance in the region, warning ‌of “rightful alarm” over its rapid military buildup, Reuters reported.

Hegseth, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s premier forum for defence leaders, militaries and diplomats, said a stronger, more self-reliant network of allies is essential to deter aggression and preserve the balance of power.

“There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” he said.

“A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance ​of power,” Hegseth said. “No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.”

The U.S. expects its ​Asian allies and partners to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP as it pledged a $1.5 trillion investment in its military, the Pentagon chief ⁠said.

Hegseth stressed allies want stability, not escalation.

“What they want, and what the United States delivers, is strength that is disciplined, resolve that is steady, and leadership that is confident enough to ​speak and walk softly while carrying a big stick.”

Hegseth also struck a measured tone on U.S.-China ties, saying relations are “better than they have been in many years,” with more frequent military-to-military engagement ​helping to manage tensions.

“We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts by maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication.”

Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University and retired People’s Liberation Army senior colonel who was part of the Chinese delegation, described U.S.-China relations as “complicated.”

Nonetheless, he said Hegseth struck “a much better tone” this year than last, attributing the shift to Trump’s visit to China.

“Both sides have open channels of communication, the situation is ​not as exaggerated as the outside world makes it out to be,” Zhou said.

China, whose defence minister is skipping the dialogue for a second consecutive year, accused Hegseth last year of making “vilifying” ​remarks.

Hegseth echoed President Donald Trump’s long-standing demand that allies shoulder more of their own defence costs. Trump has pointedly said European and NATO partners should reduce reliance on Washington.

“The era of the United States ‌subsidizing the ⁠defence of wealthy nations is over,” Hegseth said. “We need partners, not protectorates,” he added. “We don’t have a strong alliance unless everyone has skin in the game. No freeloading.”

Hegseth praised contributions from allies including South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and said Japan was taking concrete steps to bolster its defences.

Tokyo and Washington “must each pull our weight to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance,” he said.

On the Middle East conflict, Hegseth said the United States stands ready to resume strikes on Iran if diplomacy fails, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran work ​to bridge major differences blocking a deal.

“Our ability ​to recommence if necessary…we are more than ⁠capable,” Hegseth said. He added that Trump remains “patient” and is seeking a “strong deal” to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

Trump said on Friday he would convene advisers in a secure White House setting to make a “final determination” on a proposal to end the Iran war.

Hegseth also ​pushed back on concerns the conflict would distract from Asia-Pacific priorities.

“We can do two things at one time.”

Asked about arms ⁠sales to Taiwan, Hegseth downplayed concerns that a multi-billion-dollar package could be affected as the United States draws down its weapons stockpiles amid the Middle East conflict. “We feel very good about our stockpiles and how we use them,” he said.

Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has been waiting for the U.S. to approve an arms sale that Reuters reported could be worth up to $14 billion.

Trump ⁠sowed uncertainty in ​Taipei by saying, after meeting China’s President Xi Jinping this month, that he was undecided on whether to approve ​the package.

Any decision on future arms sales would rest with President Trump, Hegseth said, signalling no shift in Washington’s longstanding approach despite recent engagement with Beijing, read the report.

“Those decisions will depend on the president and the nature of that relationship,” Hegseth ​said. “There’s been no change in our status.”