Netanyahu Trump meeting set to focus on Iran war and Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington for a Netanyahu Trump meeting expected to center on the war with Iran, according to Al Jazeera. The visit matters because it comes as President Donald Trump is pressing for a deal with Tehran while Netanyahu faces Israeli elections in three months.

Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu arrived in Washington, DC, ahead of a Tuesday White House meeting with Trump, his first such talks since the United States and Israel began strikes on Tehran on February 28. Netanyahu is also in the US to attend the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and strong supporter of Israel, according to Al Jazeera.

The meeting is scheduled before Graham’s memorial in Washington, Al Jazeera reported. Netanyahu is due to return to Israel on Wednesday.

What will Trump and Netanyahu discuss?

A White House official told Reuters that Trump and Netanyahu are likely to discuss the Iran war and Israel’s strikes and occupation in Lebanon. The official also said the leaders would discuss the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and Arab and other states that Trump began brokering during his first term.

The Abraham Accords are diplomatic agreements aimed at establishing formal ties between Israel and participating countries. Al Jazeera reported that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and Kazakhstan have signed on so far.

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reported from Washington that many people in Israel want the US to avoid a deal with Iran and restart the war, a view he said also has support in the United States. Fisher said Trump has voiced frustration with Netanyahu and has suggested the Israeli leader is missing the wider picture.

Al Jazeera reported that the meeting comes during intensified Israeli raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank. It also follows violence involving Israeli settlers and Palestinian communities after a deadly shootout in Tal in which two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed, according to Al Jazeera.

Where do Trump and Netanyahu disagree?

Al Jazeera reported that Iran is the main source of tension between the two leaders. The Financial Times reported that Trump said Netanyahu would have “no choice” but to approve a possible peace agreement with Iran, adding that he “calls the shots.”

Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu is likely to press Trump again on regime change in Tehran. Vatanka said he does not expect that argument to appeal to Trump because the war is unpopular in the US.

Lebanon is another point of friction. Axios reported that Trump told Netanyahu in June that Israel’s actions had damaged its standing, while CNN quoted an Israeli official saying Netanyahu told his security cabinet that the Trump administration wants Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, Syria and Gaza and that he would resist that demand.

Fisher also reported that Netanyahu opposes a US sale of F-35 aircraft to Turkiye. Netanyahu told Fox News in July that he believed Turkiye should not receive the aircraft or engines because it would affect the regional military balance.

Why does the meeting matter for Netanyahu?

Political analysts cited by Al Jazeera said Netanyahu is seeking Trump’s backing ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. Reuters also reported, citing sources, that Netanyahu would use the meeting to seek Trump’s support for his re-election campaign.

Netanyahu has played down tension with Trump. In a Fox News interview cited by Al Jazeera, he said the US and Israel remain “model allies” and that his relationship with Trump is “fine.”

Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Monday, said Israel “needs the US” and that he and Netanyahu remain “pretty close,” according to Al Jazeera. The outcome of Tuesday’s meeting is not expected to be made public, Fisher reported.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.