US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a closed-door meeting at the White House on Tuesday, July 28, their first face-to-face talks since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran. The session lasted about 90 minutes, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as positive and productive, according to the Associated Press. Netanyahu later said the discussion included senior officials from both governments and focused on security coordination.
Iran was the central issue as Washington weighs whether diplomacy can preserve the pause in attacks reached over the weekend. Netanyahu said the two governments shared the goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while an Israeli official told AP that Israel would respond if attacked but otherwise trusted Trump’s judgment on the next steps. Before the meeting, Trump said negotiations with Iran were progressing but warned that US strikes could resume if they failed.
The talks followed visible disagreements over the conduct and duration of the war. Trump had criticized Netanyahu for publicly raising concerns about activity at Iran’s Pickaxe nuclear site and had pressed Israel to show greater restraint in Lebanon. Both leaders nevertheless portrayed Tuesday’s meeting as constructive. Axios reported that Netanyahu’s office denied pushing Washington toward renewed fighting and said several routes remained available for addressing Iran’s nuclear program.
The regional agenda also included Gaza, the US-Israeli framework concerning fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and possible expansion of the Abraham Accords. Israeli officials said the prospect of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel was discussed. At the same time, Oman presented Iran with a Gulf-backed proposal for managing Strait of Hormuz traffic through voluntary contributions, although Reuters reported that Washington continued to reject tolls or Iranian restrictions on the international waterway.
The meeting carries domestic political consequences in both countries. Netanyahu faces an Israeli election and pressure over his relationship with Trump, while Trump faces US midterm elections amid concern about the war’s economic impact and higher prices. No detailed joint statement followed the private session, leaving future military decisions and the outcome of diplomacy unresolved. Further US-Iran contacts and developments in Hormuz, Gaza and Lebanon will test whether the renewed public unity produces a durable policy.
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