Trump Warns Netanyahu: 'You'll Be on Your Own' If Israel Keeps Attacking Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he may have to fight alone if Israel returns to war with Iran. The warning came Monday as Israel and Iran announced a pause in attacks after the most serious escalation since a ceasefire took effect in April.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump — who is said to be increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu — demanded both sides stop “shooting at each other” and said “the final negotiations” toward peace would proceed “provided they are not impeded by ignorance or stupidity.” According to media reports, Trump also called Netanyahu and demanded a halt to the attacks.

In an interview with Axios, Trump revealed he had warned Netanyahu about the consequences of continuing the war. “I said, ‘Bibi, you should be careful, or you’ll soon be on your own,’” Trump said.

The escalation began Sunday after a deadly Israeli bombing of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Iran, which has long said any peace deal with the U.S. depends in part on ending the fighting in Lebanon, responded with a volley of missiles aimed at northern Israel.

According to reports, Trump called Netanyahu on Sunday evening and asked him not to retaliate, but Israel launched attacks on Iran early Monday. Israeli forces struck Iranian air defense systems and a petrochemical plant, while Iran responded by attacking a similar facility in Haifa and targeting two Israeli air bases. Many missiles were intercepted over the West Bank. No casualties were reported on either side.

The fighting complicates Trump's efforts to end a war that the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28. A ceasefire announced on April 8 halted full-scale warfare, but flare-ups in the Gulf have continued.

For his part, Netanyahu said in a televised statement that he told Trump “Israel has the full right to self-defense and we are exercising that right when necessary.” Netanyahu also warned that if Iran “makes the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force.”

Israel's ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, downplayed reports of tensions between the American and Israeli leaders, telling Fox News “sometimes lovers quarrel.” Leiter said that while Netanyahu had “decided” to “de-escalate” at Trump’s request, the U.S. president clearly understands Israel cannot “take ballistic missiles into its country without responding.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei blamed Washington for the escalation. “The U.S. bears direct responsibility. They are a party to the ceasefire negotiations. Therefore, any violation of the ceasefire — whether intercepting ships [in the Strait of Hormuz], Israel targeting southern Lebanon, or any other event — will make the U.S. directly responsible for the regional escalation,” he said.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said the campaign against Israel, code-named “Nasr” (victory), demonstrated “a new level of deterrence from powerful Iran” and that Israel had been “forced to beg once again” for a ceasefire.

Behind the scenes, diplomatic efforts continued. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that Tehran remained “at the negotiating table,” while Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said Washington and Tehran, via Pakistani mediation, were “presenting and exchanging views” toward a deal. Iravani told AP he hoped “very soon” the two sides would reach “a conclusion.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to respect the ceasefire and warned “the only way forward is through dialogue and negotiation.”

Monday’s escalation also drew in Houthi rebels in Yemen. The group launched missiles at Israel from early morning and declared a total ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, warning that any Israeli movement would be considered a “legitimate military target.” Air raid sirens later sounded in the Israeli port city of Eilat, with the military saying a suspicious aerial target launched from Yemen had been detected.

Violence also continued in southern Lebanon. An Israeli attack killed five people in the city of Tyre, another in Nabatieh district left seven dead, and a third in Marwanieh killed two, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.

Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, said Trump is trying to create the impression that he is tougher on Israel than he actually is. “Words can have meaning if they are accompanied by action,” she told Al Jazeera. “As long as they are sending billions of dollars directly to the Israeli military, and as long as they protect Israel from being brought to trial at the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court, as long as those actions don’t change, the words don’t mean much,” she added.