Trump and Netanyahu hold first face-to-face talks since their 'disagreement' on the Iran war
The meeting was the eighth between Trump and Netanyahu since the US president returned to office in early 2025 and came ahead of elections in Israel and US midterms later this year.
Published on 28/07/2026 - 20:12 GMT+2
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday for their first face-to-face talks since the war with Iran began, as the two leaders sought to ease public tensions over the conflict.
The talks lasted about 90 minutes and were described by the White House as "positive and productive."
The discussions were expected to focus on the war with Iran, which has paused in recent weeks as Washington pursues diplomacy.
"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.
The meeting was the eighth between Trump and Netanyahu since the US president returned to office in early 2025 and came ahead of elections in Israel and US midterms later this year.
It is also their first since the latest US-Iran hostilities that 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 criticising 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.
