Trump Says Netanyahu Requested the Meeting as U.S. and Israeli Leaders Prepare for Talks Amid Ongoing Iran Negotiations and Regional Security Developments
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could visit the White House as early as next week, according to an interview with Axios published on July 4.
Trump said Netanyahu had requested the meeting. The president noted that he could accommodate the visit after returning from the NATO summit in Turkey, scheduled for July 7–8.
In a press statement, Netanyahu’s office confirmed that he and Trump spoke on July 3 and agreed to meet in the United States in the near future. However, no specific date for the meeting was announced.
Netanyahu last visited the White House in February, only weeks before U.S. and Israeli forces launched joint military operations against Iran. Since then, Trump has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Iran aimed at facilitating negotiations toward a long-term resolution of the conflict.
A key obstacle in recent U.S.–Iran talks has been Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group. In an interview last month, Trump said he had previously criticized Netanyahu during a phone call over Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon.
On June 26, the United States, Israel, and Lebanon signed a trilateral agreement under which Israeli ground forces would gradually withdraw from Lebanese territory while the Lebanese government works to disarm Hezbollah.
The Trump administration has also rejected broader Israeli criticism of the memorandum of understanding with Iran. During a White House press briefing on June 18, Vice President JD Vance said Israel has few influential allies besides the United States.
In his latest interview with Axios, Trump said he and Netanyahu maintain a good relationship, adding that Netanyahu "knows who the boss is."
Trump also addressed ongoing negotiations with Iran.
He said he has been closely following the delayed funeral proceedings for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former ruling Shia Muslim cleric, who was killed on the first day of the joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Feb. 28.
"They are all there. One shot [and we can take them all out], but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with," Trump told Axios.
The president also said Tehran is "begging to make a deal," but noted that U.S. and Iranian negotiators had mutually agreed to postpone another round of talks until Khamenei’s funeral proceedings had concluded.
U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged fire last week, while the latest round of negotiations was conducted through mediators from Qatar and Pakistan. Negotiations remain ongoing.
