Netanyahu heads to US for first Trump meeting since Iran war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, their first talks since the Iran war began in late February. The Washington meeting marks the eighth encounter between the two leaders since Trump returned to office, with Iran, Lebanon and Gaza expected to dominate discussions.

Why is Netanyahu meeting Trump in Washington?

Tuesday's meeting is expected to center on the Iran war, as Washington seeks to give negotiations a chance following renewed clashes earlier this month. The leaders are also expected to discuss a US-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework deal and stalled diplomatic efforts to restart Gaza's reconstruction.

Israel has stayed out of the latest US-Iran hostilities, which resumed this month after an April ceasefire collapsed. Tuesday's talks will be the two leaders' first in-person meeting since the war began, though their eighth overall since Trump returned to office.

What has Netanyahu said about the visit?

Netanyahu called the meeting "a great privilege" and "a great responsibility" before leaving Israel on Monday. He said Iran would top the agenda, alongside safeguarding Israel's security and expanding the circle of peace around the country. Netanyahu framed the trip as a chance to align strategy with Washington after months of visible friction.

Has Trump fallen out with Netanyahu?

Relations between the two leaders hit a low point in April during ceasefire negotiations, when Trump directed profanity-laced criticism at his Israeli ally. Trump later called Netanyahu a "very difficult guy" in an interview, while Netanyahu described their friction as "tactical disagreements" rather than a break in strategy. Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the visit's main purpose is to show there is no rift between Washington and Israel.

Freeman said any differences between Trump and Netanyahu concern timeline and intensity, not the war's ultimate goals. He expects Trump to prioritize Iran and expanding the Abraham Accords over Gaza during the talks. The accords, signed during Trump's first term, established formal diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

What else will Trump and Netanyahu discuss?

Other observers say the talks could address easing Israel's military presence in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza. The leaders are also expected to discuss the US-sponsored Israel-Lebanon framework deal signed last month, which has proven difficult to implement on the ground. Diplomatic efforts to begin Gaza's reconstruction remain stalled nearly three years into the war between Israel and Hamas.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, and Israel continues to target people its military identifies as militants.

What is Netanyahu's political situation at home?

Netanyahu's Washington visit comes months ahead of Israel's national elections, in which he plans to seek another term. Recent polls show him trailing, with public anger still lingering over his government's failure to prevent Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. That attack triggered the Gaza war that has since reshaped the region.