Fox News host Mark Levin publicly questioned President Donald Trump’s approach to the latest round of fighting between Israel and Iran after reports emerged that the president urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate following Iranian missile attacks.
The dispute highlights a growing debate among some of Trump’s supporters over how aggressively Israel should respond to attacks from its regional adversaries and whether continued military escalation serves broader strategic goals.
Levin, one of Israel’s most outspoken defenders in conservative media, reacted sharply after details of Trump’s reported phone call with Netanyahu surfaced Sunday. The radio host and Fox News personality has long advocated a hard-line posture toward Iran and has frequently argued for strong measures to counter Tehran’s influence in the region.
His criticism follows an earlier disagreement over a separate reported conversation between Trump and Netanyahu. According to reports, Trump had expressed frustration with Israel’s threats to resume airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Those strikes were later carried out by Israel.
The latest tensions came after Iran launched waves of ballistic missiles toward Israel on Sunday. The missile attack was described as a direct response to Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
Following the Iranian barrage, Trump indicated he wanted to prevent the situation from spiraling into a broader conflict.
According to comments attributed to the president by Axios reporter Barak Ravid, Trump said he planned to contact Netanyahu and urge restraint.
“I am going to call Netanyahu right now and tell him not to strike back,” Trump reportedly said.
Ravid later shared additional remarks from the president in which Trump emphasized his desire to avoid another cycle of retaliation.
According to those comments, Trump noted that the Iranian missile attack did not result in casualties and expressed hope that Israel would refrain from responding militarily. He reportedly warned that another exchange of attacks could prolong a conflict that has already stretched across decades of regional hostility.
Trump also suggested that diplomacy remained within reach. According to Ravid’s account, the president said the United States was nearing what he described as a final agreement with Iran and that he did not want current events to derail those negotiations.
The president delivered a similar message during a phone conversation with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst.
“What I would suggest to Iran, you’ve shot your missiles. That’s enough. Get back to the table and make a deal,” Trump said.
Levin appeared unconvinced by the approach.
Reacting on social media, he openly questioned why the administration seemed to be distancing itself from Israel’s position.
“Why are we turning on Israel and Netanyahu tonight? Wow,” Levin wrote.
The comment reflected concerns among some pro-Israel conservatives who view military retaliation as a necessary response when a nation comes under attack.
Levin also highlighted a previous statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In a video clip shared by Levin, Rubio argued that countries should respond when attacked, saying, “Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at.”
Rubio originally made the remark while defending U.S. military retaliation against Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz after attacks on American Navy destroyers.
The latest disagreement underscores a difficult balance facing policymakers: how to respond to missile attacks and regional provocations while also attempting to prevent a conflict from expanding further. As diplomatic efforts continue, divisions remain visible among some of the president’s allies over whether restraint or retaliation offers the better path forward.
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