Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to Washington on Monday for a face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump, coming on the heels of a US decision to pause its military strikes against Iran — though American forces remain on standby and military assets continue to grow in the region.
President Trump revealed the planned meeting Friday night at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, saying he would sit down with Netanyahu on Tuesday. Netanyahu’s office later confirmed the trip, adding that the prime minister would also attend the funeral of the late US Senator Lindsey Graham during his visit.
The trip comes after the United States called a halt to nearly two weeks of strikes on Iran. Prior to that pause, the situation had grown increasingly tense, with President Trump warning of a potential “massive” attack and Iran threatening to strike Tel Aviv if Washington targeted the Iranian capital. Israeli officials had braced for a large-scale US strike overnight Friday, fearing it could have drawn Israel directly into the conflict if Iran retaliated with missiles aimed at Israeli territory.
Even with the strikes on hold, the US military footprint in Israel continues to expand. Roughly 90 American aerial refueling aircraft, along with additional military equipment, are now stationed across the country.
An Israeli official told Kan News on Saturday that President Trump appears to have pushed back what was described as a planned “deadline,” seemingly to give Iran another opening to return to the negotiating table. That same outlet reported the US may be ready to launch a major strike on Iran at any moment should Washington choose to move forward.
Senior Israeli officials also told Kan News that Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has taken a hardened stance during negotiations with the United States, making it more difficult to reach any kind of deal.
In a separate development, The New York Times reported Thursday that Iran turned down a ceasefire proposal put forward by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. According to Iranian sources cited by the newspaper, al-Zaidi traveled to Tehran and met with officials involved in the talks, who rejected the proposal because Iran refused to consider a temporary ceasefire that did not fully settle the question of navigation rights through the Strait of Hormuz. The office of the Iraqi prime minister pushed back on the report, calling the claims “unfounded.”
