Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington, DC, ahead of a high‑stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reports.
The Iran war is expected to dominate the agenda, alongside discussions on a peace framework for Lebanon and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official.
Trump is also scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the same day to review the war in Ukraine, reports NBC News.
Netanyahu faces waning support at home for the Iran war he long championed, and declining approval in the United States. His relationship with Trump has appeared strained despite calling him “the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House.”
On Monday, Trump dismissed Netanyahu’s criticism of his decision to sell F‑35 jets to Turkey, saying, “Nobody tells me what we should be selling and not.”
Asked if they were aligned on Iran, Trump replied, “We have a little difference, but pretty close.”
During Sunday’s Israeli Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said he would raise the state of the Iran war, which shows no sign of resolution. US forces carried out strikes for nearly two weeks this month, while Iran targeted ships and American assets in the region.
The sit‑down will be their first face‑to‑face since Axios reported Trump had called Netanyahu “f—ing crazy” in a heated phone call, a remark Trump later confirmed. Netanyahu downplayed tensions, saying the two sometimes have “tactical disagreements” but “always find a way to work them out.”
The meeting comes amid scrutiny of the administration’s handling of the war since the launch of Operation Epic Fury in late February. Four US soldiers were killed in recent days, bringing the American death toll to 18.
According to NBC News, US weapons stockpiles are running low, with commanders allowing some Iranian missiles and drones to pass defenses to conserve supplies. The Pentagon has asked Congress for $67 billion in supplemental funding to expand production and speed deliveries.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the army “has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” while noting Trump is giving talks with Iran “some space” but keeping all options open.
Netanyahu on Sunday told Fox News that Israeli and US intelligence services are working closely. He said, “It’s not that I’m going to present new information, but it’s a good thing to sit with our good friend President Trump and hear what he has in mind, because in many ways it’s his decision.”
He also said, “If Iran attacks Israel, either directly or through proxies, with ballistic missiles or drones, it will make a terrible mistake, because Israel’s response will be very, very forceful.”
Trump last week said Saudi Arabia must normalise ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords before he would approve a civil nuclear deal with Riyadh. Netanyahu endorsed the condition, calling Trump “absolutely right.”
He will also attend the memorial service for late Senator Lindsey Graham, whom he praised as “one of Israel’s greatest friends since its inception” and “a staunch supporter of Israel and an Iran hawk.”
