‘No f***ing judgment’: Trump slams Netanyahu after Beirut strike delays Iran deal

Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that a proposed agreement between the United States and Iran designed to conclude their ongoing conflict remains viable despite Israeli military strikes in Beirut and subsequent threats of retaliation from Tehran. However, the president voiced intense frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the timing of the military operation.

In an interview with Axios, Trump noted that the accord, which officials originally expected to finalise earlier Sunday, had been set back by several hours because of the military escalation in Lebanon.

"It shook it up. It delayed the signing by a few hours. It was supposed to be now. Now it is scheduled for a few hours from now," Trump said during a telephone interview with the media outlet.

Axios reported that the Israeli bombardment in the Lebanese capital of Beirut occurred mere hours before the United States and Iran were slated to conclude the historic pact to end bilateral hostilities.

Trump stated he was caught off guard when his aides briefed him on the Israeli offensive and offered sharp criticism of Netanyahu's strategic calculations.

"It is so bad -- I couldn't believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal," Trump said, noting that he expressed his dissatisfaction directly to the Israeli leader.

The US President acknowledged that Hezbollah had initiated previous strikes against Israel, but he contended that those actions had caused neither fatalities nor substantial structural devastation.

Lambasting Netanyahu, Trump said, "Why did Bibi have to do a f***ing attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no f***ing judgement. I let him know that."

Trump maintained that the diplomatic resolution with Iran would safeguard Israel’s enduring security interests by obstructing Tehran's path to a nuclear weapon and intensifying monitoring protocols over its atomic infrastructure.

According to Trump, the provisions of the proposed accord would mandate the elimination of Iran's existing nuclear stockpiles and authorise immediate, unannounced inspections of Iranian atomic facilities.

Iranian officials have yet to issue public verification that the formal signing of an agreement is imminent.

However, Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee, issued a warning on the social media platform X, indicating that a retaliatory strike was being prepared following the events in Lebanon.

"Today's crime by the Zionist regime in Dahieh, Beirut, once again proved the U.S. is weak without credibility, as it is not even capable of controlling this illegitimate regime. A strong response is coming," Azizi's statement read.

Despite the abrupt escalation in regional volatility, Trump remained optimistic that the diplomatic initiative was viable and that the accord could successfully advance.

It was not immediately verified whether Washington had secured explicit guarantees from Tehran that the schedule for finalising the pact remained intact.

With inputs from ANI