Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first face-to-face visit to the White House since the Iran conflict erupted, engaging in discussions with President Donald Trump. The United States military confirmed they had intercepted several missiles fired by Tehran. The private meeting, described as “positive and productive” by the White House, lasted approximately an hour and a half. It aimed to mend public differences regarding the war and reinforce their alliance.
Following the meeting, Netanyahu expressed in a video message that it was “one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with the president of the United States” and emphasized their mutual goal: preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The Iran conflict, which started in late February with joint US-Israeli strikes, has recently paused, with Washington indicating a preference to see diplomatic negotiations proceed.
Yemen’s Iran-supported Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for ballistic missile attacks against a Saudi oil tanker, NCC Ghazal, in the Red Sea, accusing it of violating a blockade they imposed on the kingdom’s ports. Saudi Arabia has not yet responded publicly but reported intercepting drones targeting eastern oil facilities, blaming Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
The U.S. Central Command announced that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran aimed at U.S. forces in the Middle East, all of which were successfully intercepted. Tensions had been simmering, with nightly U.S. strikes on Iran and missile and drone attacks from Tehran on U.S. allies around the Gulf, though both the U.S. and Iran had temporarily held fire over the weekend.
Israel has not participated in the recent hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, which escalated earlier this month after a ceasefire broke down. This was the eighth meeting between Netanyahu and Trump since early 2025, taking place ahead of crucial elections in both Israel and the United States—national elections for Netanyahu and midterms for Trump.
Netanyahu attended a private memorial dinner in Washington honoring the late Senator Lindsey Graham and also participated in a memorial service for the late Israeli ally. Relations between Trump and Netanyahu were strained during last month’s negotiations over Iran’s ceasefire, with Trump criticizing Netanyahu harshly. Trump later referred to Netanyahu as a “very difficult guy” in an interview. Netanyahu minimized these disagreements, calling them “tactical differences” and reaffirming their shared objectives in the conflict.
On the agenda for Tuesday’s discussions were the implementation of a US-backed framework agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon last month, though ground-level application remains challenging. They also planned to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza, where reconstruction efforts have stalled, and the humanitarian situation remains bleak. Israel continues its frequent targeting of militants in Gaza, nearly three years after the outbreak of hostilities with Hamas.
Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon highlighted the timing of Netanyahu’s visit, stressing the ongoing threats from Iran, which continues to support terrorism and block the Strait of Hormuz. International relations expert Yonatan Freeman explained that the main goal was to demonstrate that the U.S. and Israel remain aligned, countering any notions of a falling-out or major disagreements between the allies.