Netanyahu pushes for White House meeting with Trump on Iran
New: Trump initially resisted the meeting, while Netanyahu sought to block any diplomatic concessions to Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Tuesday local time (7/28) after weeks of trying to secure an invitation. According to a U.S. official and one Israeli source, Netanyahu pressed for the meeting to discuss developments in the war with Iran and to persuade Trump not to soften his diplomatic approach toward Tehran. CNN reported that Trump was initially reluctant to meet, and some White House officials were angered because Israel was seen as using media leaks to pressure the meeting onto the agenda. The talks came amid a shift in their relationship: Netanyahu is said to want greater military pressure, while Trump prefers to end the war before the November U.S. election.