Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday for their first face-to-face talks since the start of the Iran war, with the conflict expected to dominate discussions.
The meeting comes amid public disagreements between the two allies over the handling of the war, which began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Washington has indicated that it wants to create room for diplomatic negotiations.
Although Israel has not participated in the latest round of fighting between the United States and Iran, tensions remain high after hostilities resumed earlier this month following the collapse of an April ceasefire.
The meeting will mark the eighth encounter between Netanyahu and Trump since the US president returned to office last year and their first in-person discussion since the conflict began.
Before leaving Israel on Monday, Netanyahu described the visit as both an opportunity and a responsibility.
“This is a great privilege, but it is also a great responsibility,” Netanyahu said.
“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,” he added.
Relations between the two leaders had deteriorated earlier this year during ceasefire negotiations, with Trump publicly criticising Netanyahu and later describing him as a “very difficult guy” in an interview.
Netanyahu, however, dismissed the disagreements as tactical differences, maintaining that both leaders remained aligned on the broader objectives of the war.
During Tuesday’s talks, the leaders are expected to review the implementation of a US-backed framework agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon last month, although its enforcement has faced challenges.
The discussions are also expected to cover Gaza, where reconstruction efforts remain stalled amid continued humanitarian concerns nearly three years after the war between Israel and Hamas began.
Israel continues to carry out military operations in Gaza, saying its targets are militants.
Focus on US-Israel alliance
Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the visit is aimed partly at demonstrating that the relationship between Washington and Jerusalem remains strong despite reports of disagreements.
“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,” he told AFP.
Freeman said both leaders share more common ground than differences, adding that disagreements mainly concern strategy, including timelines, intensity and immediate operational goals.
He said Trump is likely to focus primarily on Iran and expanding the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered agreements that established diplomatic relations between Israel and countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco during his first term.
Other analysts believe the talks could also address possible adjustments to Israel’s military presence in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.
Netanyahu’s visit comes months before Israel’s national elections, where he is seeking another term.
Recent opinion polls show the prime minister trailing amid continued public criticism over his government’s failure to prevent the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.
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