Trump to Meet Netanyahu at White House on Tuesday Amid Iran Tensions

President Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, according to Netanyahu’s office, as Trump weighs whether to resume wider military operations against Iran.

President Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office. The statement, which was cited in an Axios report, puts an end to days of uncertainty over whether the two leaders would sit down together.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said Netanyahu will leave for Washington on Monday for an official visit at Trump’s invitation. During that trip, he’ll meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday and also attend the funeral service for the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

Axios also pointed out that the fact Netanyahu is heading to Washington at all next week could suggest that no major escalation is likely to happen before the visit takes place.

In past periods of rising tension with Iran, both the United States and Israel have used announcements about high profile visits as a form of misdirection ahead of planned military strikes. That history means the timing and framing of this meeting shouldn’t necessarily be taken at face value.

Axios reported that some White House officials suggested at the time that Netanyahu appeared to be trying to force the meeting into happening through public pressure. Then on Wednesday, a White House official told the publication that talks were underway about a possible Oval Office meeting, though nothing had been finalized yet. That changed on Thursday, when Trump told the publication directly that he would meet with Netanyahu if the Israeli leader was already going to be in Washington for Graham’s funeral service, which is now exactly what’s happening.