Israel's War In Lebanon Threatens To Blow Up US Deal With Iran (S01E81)

Tuesday, June 2, 2026, IstanbulAxios reports on a testy exchange between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. Earlier on Monday, Iran announced that it was walking away from negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz and potentially rolling back its nuclear program because of Israel’s continued military actions in Lebanon, which now amount to an occupation of the the country’s south. That wasn’t the deal, Iran declared, noting that ceasefire in Lebanon was part of the April settlement that ended the most ferocious phase of warfare between the US and Iran. Trump said he didn’t care. Apparently he did care. According to Axios’ explosive report, Trump was fuming at Netanyahu, going all Joe Pesce on him. “You’re f*****g crazy,” Axios reported that Trump told Netanyahu. “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.”Lebanon has become a key stumbling back in ending a conflict that continues to threaten the world economy. On the latest edition of badlands, I discuss the deep ties between Iran and Lebanon that go beyond Hezbollah and its role as a proxy force for Tehran. In interviews with India’s NewsX World and Azerbaijan’s Anewz, I also discuss the latest news and diplomatic maneuvering, and the Strait of Hormuz and whether Iran is holding it hostage. In short, hell yeah it’s holding the Strait hostage, and it’s getting away with it because of US missteps. A quick programming note. badlands was ranked 29 in Substack’s list of rising newsletters! Thanks to everyone for their support. Please watch. listen, share, and subscribe.badlands is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe