US President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, as the US considers the next steps in the war against Iran.
Before the meeting, a White House official said the leaders were expected to discuss Iran, a framework agreement the US and Israel signed with Lebanon, and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.
“It was an extremely positive meeting,” a senior Israeli source said. “The Prime Minister and President held an excellent and comprehensive discussion on the key issues of the day, first and foremost Iran."
The meeting came at a critical moment for US policy in the Middle East. For weeks, Mr Trump has struggled to end the war he launched alongside Israel on February 28 and secure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
He has been dealing with different objectives to those of Mr Netanyahu, who faces an election in October and wants to portray the campaign against Iran and Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon as a major military victory.
He has also sought to portray a close relationship with Mr Trump despite signs of tension between the two leaders.
"I have just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump," Mr Netanyahu said. "When I say excellent, it's not just lip service. It was a conversation of full partnership, of mutual support, with an understanding of the shared goal to ensure that Iran will not have nuclear weapons."
Earlier on Tuesday, when asked by Fox News if the meeting would include discussions on Pickaxe Mountain, an underground suspected Iranian nuclear site, Mr Trump appeared to express frustration with Mr Netanyahu.
"Bibi's telling me that because he wants me to stay involved," Mr Trump said. "We know exactly what's going on [at Pickaxe Mountain] ... it's not a big problem."
On Monday, he said there was a "little difference" between him and Mr Netanyahu, but they remain "pretty close".
Outside the White House, demonstrators gathered to protest against the visit. Protesters carried banners calling Mr Netanyahu a war criminal and demanding an end to US support for Israel.
A recent Economist/YouGov poll showed that about half of Americans believe the US should arrest Mr Netanyahu under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Mr Trump also hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Tuesday.
Both meetings were held behind closed doors.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that “both meetings were positive and productive”.
Mr Zelenskyy described his meeting with Mr Trump as “good”. His visit came as efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine remain stalled.
“The President and I discussed licences for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help,” he wrote on X. “We also spoke about diplomacy – it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated.”
Mr Zelenskyy is seeking continued US military support, including more Patriot air-defence systems, as well as stronger security guarantees. He would like to see the US exert pressure on Moscow.
Mr Zelenskyy has also sought to ensure that any peace agreement does not force Ukraine to formally cede territory occupied by Russia.
Thomas Helm contributed to this report from Jerusalem
