Trump-Netanyahu White House meeting puts strained Iran war alliance to the test

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose alliance has shown signs of strain over the Iran war, are set to meet at the White House on Tuesday. With discord between the two leaders growing over future military action against Iran and the pursuit of a diplomatic solution, the summit is expected to serve as a key test of where the bilateral relationship is headed.

Politico reported Monday that while the meeting is one Netanyahu has long sought, it may do little to ease the already-tense relationship between the two countries.

Netanyahu has not visited the White House since the Iran war began, and has been working to secure an invitation since at least April, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

One source said Netanyahu urgently wants to consult with Trump on the Iran war and the US-Saudi Arabia nuclear agreement.

Netanyahu is also expected to attend the funeral of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a staunch political ally of Trump.

Netanyahu said in a statement that the meeting would be the eighth summit between the two leaders since Trump's reelection, and that Iran would be the "top priority" among the issues on the agenda, The New York Times reported.

The Times noted that Netanyahu faces political pressure to show Israeli voters he is maintaining close coordination with Washington — even amid his differences with Trump — ahead of Israel's general election at the end of October.

For Trump, the meeting comes as he faces domestic criticism that the United States has been drawn into the Iran war because of Israel, with the November midterm elections approaching. Managing public opinion at home, where fatigue over the prolonged conflict is growing, is also a pressing concern.

The two leaders launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28 with the goal of dismantling its nuclear weapons program. But as the conflict has dragged on, they have diverged over further military action and ceasefire negotiations with Tehran, and their differences have grown sharper of late.

Israel has largely been excluded from the process of concluding a ceasefire MOU between the United States and Iran.

Trump has also strongly criticized Israel for continuing airstrikes on Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, and has pressed Israel to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon and parts of Syria. Trump lashed out at Netanyahu during a phone call on June 1, calling him "crazy" over the Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, Axios previously reported.

Politico said the war aims of the United States and Israel are increasingly diverging, with Israel wanting to continue the war while the United States has, until recently, placed greater weight on a diplomatic resolution.

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), told the Times that "the interests don't align because Trump is interested in a deal, but Israel doesn't want to hear about a deal." He said Israel believes any peace agreement between the United States and Iran would end up strengthening the Iranian regime, and therefore views a return to war as preferable to negotiations.

Trump's recent nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia has also drawn concern in Israel, with critics warning it could trigger a nuclear arms race across the Middle East.

After signing the agreement, Trump said Saudi Arabia's normalization of relations with Israel — joining the Abraham Accords — was a prerequisite for its implementation, but Israel remains skeptical that Saudi Arabia will actually move toward normalization. The episode illustrates how the two countries' differences extend beyond Iran to broader Middle East strategy, including how each side approaches its relationship with Saudi Arabia.

However, given that Trump has signaled he could launch large-scale military action if Iran fails to show a constructive attitude in negotiations, the trajectory of US-Iran talks and Washington's corresponding military posture are expected to shape the future of US-Israel coordination as well.