Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with United States President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday in their first face-to-face talks since the outbreak of the Iran war.
The meeting is expected to focus largely on the conflict, which began following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Washington has since indicated its willingness to allow room for renewed diplomatic engagement.
Israel did not participate in the latest round of hostilities between the United States and Iran, which resumed earlier this month after an April ceasefire collapsed.
The meeting will be the eighth between Netanyahu and Trump since the US president returned to office last year. It will also be their first in-person engagement since the conflict began.
Speaking before leaving Israel on Monday, Netanyahu said:
“This is a great privilege, but it is also a great responsibility.”
He added:
“We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost Iran. Naturally, our goal is to safeguard our security and also to expand the circle of peace around us.”
Relations between the two leaders have appeared strained in recent months, particularly during negotiations surrounding the ceasefire. Trump had previously described Netanyahu as a “very difficult guy,” while the Israeli prime minister dismissed their disagreements as “tactical,” maintaining that both leaders remained aligned on the broader objectives of the war.
Beyond Iran, the talks are expected to cover the implementation of a US-backed framework agreement involving Israel and Lebanon, as well as the situation in Gaza, where efforts to begin reconstruction have reportedly stalled.
An international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Yonatan Freeman, said the visit could help demonstrate that relations between the two allies remain strong.
“I think that the main issue… is to show the world, to show Iran, and also even Lebanon and others as well specifically, that there is no break or any kind of major disagreement between the United States and Israel,” Freeman said.
He added:
“There’s more in agreement between the two leaders than disagreement.”
Netanyahu’s visit comes months before Israel’s national elections, where he is expected to seek another term in office.
