WASHINGTON, United States: The Trump-Netanyahu meeting was scheduled for 11am local time, or 8pm PKT, on July 28, with Iran-Iraq tensions, Israel-Lebanon tensions, and the Abraham Accords on the agenda.
The talks mark Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s first White House meeting with US President Donald Trump since the two countries began joint military action against Iran in February.
Netanyahu said before leaving Israel that Iran would remain the primary subject. He added that Israel aimed to protect its security and expand regional peace agreements, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
A White House official said the leaders would also discuss tensions between Israel and Lebanon and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords, Reuters reported.
Trump brokered the agreements during his first presidential term. They established diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Read: Anti-Weaponisation Fund Faces Ex-Judges’ Challenge
The meeting comes as Trump pauses US airstrikes to allow further diplomacy with Iran. Netanyahu has pressed Washington to maintain military pressure on Tehran and address its nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes.
Reuters cited sources familiar with the visit as saying Netanyahu also sought Trump’s support before Israel’s October 27 election. Netanyahu has struggled in opinion polls amid disagreements with Washington over regional military strategy.
Both the Ukraine war and the widening Middle East conflict are at critical junctures. After the collapse of a ceasefire in the Iran war, Trump says he has paused U.S. airstrikes to give diplomacy another chance. Zelenskiy, meanwhile, has been buoyed by Ukraine’s recent successes.
Read: Iran-US Negotiations Denied as Hormuz Talks Continue
Netanyahu was also due to attend the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham at Washington National Cathedral. The service was scheduled for 2 pm local time, according to the official funeral programme.
