Trump and Netanyahu hold first talks since Iran war as strains surface

Jerusalem,UPDATED: Jul 28, 2026 21:06 IST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday in their first talks since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran. The meeting gives Netanyahu a chance to ease strains in the relationship at a time when both leaders are facing growing pressure at home.

The talks are expected to cover Iran, including reported Israeli intelligence on activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a potential nuclear site that Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb. They are also expected to cover the framework agreement the US and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.

Trump signalled tension ahead of the meeting, complaining about reports that Netanyahu planned to raise intelligence on Iranian activity at Pickaxe Mountain. "I know exactly what's going on at Pickaxe," Trump told Fox & Friends. He said whatever Iran is doing is "not a big problem" and added, "Bibi's telling me that because he wants me to stay involved." Trump also said, "Why do you have to announce to the world?" On Monday, when asked if he and Netanyahu were on the same page on Iran, Trump said, "We have a little difference. But pretty close, yeah."

Both leaders are under pressure at home. Netanyahu is up for re-election and is embattled in part because of his worsening relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has caused economic disruption and driven prices higher ahead of the midterm elections in November.

Trump and Netanyahu have had a hot-and-cold relationship over the years, but after Trump's return to the White House last year, their alliance appeared stronger than ever. When they started the war together in February, they presented a united front, saying their militaries were acting in lockstep to target Iran's leadership and pave the way for a government more friendly to the West. But as Iran hit back with drones and missiles on US bases and high-rises in Gulf cities, and choked off the Strait of Hormuz, Trump came under heavy pressure at home and from regional allies to end the conflict.

Since then, Netanyahu, who wanted to continue the fighting in Iran and against Hezbollah in Lebanon, has been sidelined as Trump sought a deal with Tehran. His visit comes as disagreements with Trump and Vice President JD Vance over the Iran war and more have spilled into the open. "The Americans are making it clear to the Israelis they are the ones who are running the war," Israeli journalist and political analyst Amit Segal wrote on Monday in Israel Hayom. "It is clear to everyone that Israel has been put in the back seat."

According to a person familiar with Netanyahu's visit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, the Israeli leader plans to share Israeli intelligence on Tehran's nuclear programme. On Fox News Channel's Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Netanyahu said he hoped to sit down with Trump "to hear what he has in mind" for Iran. "Because I think, in many ways, it's his decision" on how to move forward, Netanyahu said. "If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that's fine. Why not? But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear programme." He also warned Iran against attacking Israel, saying the response would be "very forceful."

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told reporters in New York on Tuesday that Netanyahu wanted to hear what Trump would like to see in the coming days and weeks. "I cannot tell you which direction it will go. There are different options," he said. "We are prepared for all scenarios, and we will discuss it with the president."

Even as Netanyahu sees an opportunity in the meeting, he also needs to convince Trump that he will not obstruct US diplomatic and reconstruction efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, where the president has previously complained that "too many people are being killed" by Israeli strikes. In Lebanon, where the Israeli military occupies much of the south, Israel has agreed to allow the Lebanese army to deploy to some villages as part of a "pilot programme" to test its ability to secure areas where Hezbollah once operated. The US State Department said on Monday that the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place next week in Rome and will focus on expanding the programme.

On Gaza, Israel's security cabinet on Sunday approved a measure that would, in theory, allow the first members of an international stabilisation force set out last year in a US-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas to enter the territory. Few countries have pledged troops, and Israel would approve their entry into Gaza on a case-by-case basis. The troops, including from Morocco and Uganda, would be allowed to operate only in a small, desolate area in southern Rafah, where the plan is to screen and house some displaced Palestinians. The Israeli military is continuing strikes that it says target militants but that have also killed civilians.

Support for Israel has also fallen sharply in the United States, especially over its conduct in Gaza. In June, Vance warned Israeli officials that Trump was their only friend among world leaders. A person familiar with the plan, who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Vance is expected to attend the meeting with Netanyahu. An AP-NORC poll published earlier this month found a dramatic erosion of support for Israel among American adults. Ben Caspit, a political commentator for Maariv, wrote, "We've lost America. Thank you, Bibi."

The meeting will test whether Trump and Netanyahu can manage their differences on Iran while moving ahead on Lebanon, Gaza and wider regional diplomacy, as both leaders face political pressure at home and support for Israel weakens in the US.

With PTI Inputs

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