Trump and Netanyahu meet face-to-face for first time since Iran war rift

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House on Tuesday for a meeting with US President Donald Trump – their first face-to-face talks since the outbreak of the war with Iran. The two leaders aimed to reduce public tensions linked to the conflict.

The discussions, which lasted about 90 minutes, were characterized by White House officials as "positive and productive." They were expected to focus on the war with Iran, which has slowed in recent weeks as Washington pursues diplomatic efforts.

"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," Netanyahu said before departing from Israel.

This was the eighth meeting between Trump and Netanyahu since the US president returned to office in early 2025. It comes ahead of elections in Israel and the US midterm elections later this year. It is also their first meeting since the latest US-Iran hostilities flared earlier this month after an April ceasefire collapsed. Israel did not take part in the latest fighting.

Shortly after arriving in Washington, Netanyahu attended a private memorial dinner on Monday evening for the late Senator Lindsey Graham and was due to attend his memorial service later on Tuesday, according to his office.

The leaders were also expected to discuss implementation of a US-backed agreement between Israel and Lebanon, as well as stalled efforts to rebuild Gaza. Nearly three years after the war between Israel and Hamas began, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, and Israel continues to regularly target people the military says are 'militants'.

Relations between Trump and Netanyahu reached a low point in April during negotiations over the Iran ceasefire, with Trump publicly criticizing the Israeli leader. Trump later described Netanyahu as "a very difficult guy" in an interview, while Netanyahu dismissed the exchanges as "tactical disagreements," saying they remained aligned on the war's objectives.