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Israeli media reports explosion sounds after Israeli military announced interception of Yemeni missile.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: The Sudanese delegation was headed by Chairman of the Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, while the US delegation was headed by Trump's envoy, Masoud Boulos.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: US-Sudanese security talks took place in Switzerland last Monday.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: An Israeli drone fired two missiles at a car on the Hadatha-Hares road, Southen Lebanon
Larijani: Iran did not give Lebanon a paper [to implement]; it was the US that did so, and it was "Israel" that aggressed against Lebanon and its sovereingty.
Larijani: Foreign countries must not give orders to Lebanon, Tehran does not interfere in Lebanon's decision-making.
Larijani: The ones interfering in Lebanese affairs are those dictating plans and deadlines.
Aoun: Lebanon, which never interferes in the affairs of any other country and respects its privacy, including that of Iran, will not accept anyone interfering in its internal affairs
Aoun: The friendship we seek between Lebanon and Iran should encompass all Lebanese, not just one sect or political group
The Lebanese President, during his meeting with Larijani: Some recent remarks by Iranian officials have been unhelpful for Lebanon

Trump team describes Netanyahu as a 'child that won't behave': Axios

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Axios
  • 21 Jul 2025 10:31
4 Min Read

US officials accuse Netanyahu of reckless behavior as tensions grow between Washington and Tel Aviv following Israeli strikes on Syria and the church in Gaza.

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  • Trump team furious over Israeli strikes on Syria - Axios
    US President Donald Trump, second from left, meets with "Israel's" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second from right, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Trump administration is reportedly alarmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent aggression on Syria, which several senior officials have described as reckless and destabilizing.

"Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time," one White House official told Axios on Monday. Another added, "He’s a child who just won't behave."

Frustration grew following the Israeli shelling of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, which prompted US President Donald Trump to call Netanyahu personally.

"The feeling is that every day there is something new. What the f**?" a senior official told Axios, describing the White House’s growing exasperation.

Israeli strikes on Syria ignite rift

Tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv reportedly escalated after Israeli forces bombed a convoy of Syrian army tanks near Suweida on Tuesday. The strike came amid fierce clashes between Druze militants and armed Bedouin tribes that reportedly killed over 1,000 people, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"Israel" alleged the Syrian convoy had entered a demilitarized zone and accused the Syrian army of aiding attacks on the Druze community, an accusation the Syrian government denies.

Despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States, "Israel" resumed airstrikes after only a brief pause. On Wednesday, bombs hit the Syrian military headquarters and areas near the presidential palace. In an effort to end the Israeli aggression, US envoy Tom Barrack had explicitly asked "Israel" to stand down and allow diplomacy to proceed. Even though Israeli officials initially agreed, the strikes resumed within hours.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio intervened to urge a halt, but Netanyahu conditioned any cessation on the Syrian army’s full withdrawal from Sweida, while the US officials viewed this demand as a political maneuver rather than a strategic necessity.

Netanyahu’s agendas frustrate Washington

Within the White House, officials increasingly believe that Netanyahu’s actions are driven more by domestic political considerations than regional stability. "Bibi’s political agenda is driving his senses. It will turn out to be a big mistake for him long-term," one official told Axios. Another offered Axios a more blunt remark: "The Israelis need to get their head out of their asses."

While top aides voiced concern privately, Trump has so far refrained from public criticism. "The bombing in Syria caught the president and the White House by surprise," one official commented to Axios, adding that "He doesn’t like turning on the television and seeing bombs dropped in a country he is seeking peace in and made a monumental announcement to help rebuild."

Behind closed doors, close Trump allies like Tom Barrack and White House envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly expressed alarm over Netanyahu’s strategy and its potential to derail diplomatic efforts.

The strikes came just days after Netanyahu visited Washington and met with Trump twice in the wake of "Israel’s" unprovoked war on Iran, underscoring what officials now view as an increasingly unpredictable ally.

Growing strains over settler violence and strategic drift

Further complicating relations was the killing of Palestinian-American Saif Musallet by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The incident prompted a rare rebuke from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a staunch ally of the Israeli right. Huckabee labeled the attack "terrorism" and called for accountability, while also criticizing the Israeli government for limiting travel visas for American evangelical visitors.

An Israeli official, speaking to Axios, attempted to defend the strikes on Syria: "The US wants to keep the new Syrian government stable and doesn't understand why we attack in Syria, because of attacks on the Druze community there. We tried to explain that this is our commitment to the Druze community in Israel."

But US officials are not convinced. "The current Israeli policy would lead to an unstable Syria," one warned via Axios. "Both the Druze community and Israel will lose in such a scenario."

This episode is the latest in a string of high-risk decisions by Netanyahu, who recently launched an unprovoked war on Iran and continues to carry out a genocide in Gaza in defiance of Trump’s diplomatic initiatives.

While those gambles have sometimes worked in Netanyahu’s favor, US officials now fear that he may be overreaching. "Netanyahu’s luck, and Trump’s goodwill, could run out," cautioned one source.

  • Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Axios
  • United States
  • US President Donald Trump
  • Trump administration
  • Syria
  • Israeli aggression on Syria

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Everything we have seen occur across the region over the past 22 months teaches the Arab public that capitulation spells the end of their nations and leaves them vulnerable to endless abuses. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

The US wants Lebanon, Gaza and Iraq to disarm and will fail

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We must honestly evaluate such moves less as vaguely well-intentioned acts of political virtue signaling and more as active campaigns of counterinsurgency designed only to save "Israel" from itself. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

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