The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, described his meeting with Donald Trump as “excellent” and assured that both maintain a shared vision to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, in a meeting held amid differences over the direction that Washington's policy towards Tehran should take.
"I just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump. When I say excellent, it is not just a formal compliment," Netanyahu said after the meeting, in statements translated from Hebrew and released by his office.
The Israeli prime minister assured that the conversation was marked by cooperation between both governments. “It was a conversation of full collaboration, of mutual support, with an understanding of the shared objective of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and also other objectives,” he said.
Netanyahu described the meeting as “one of the best conversations” he has had with Trump and referred to the American president as “our friend.” According to the prime minister, the participation of senior officials from both delegations made it possible to exchange proposals and coordinate positions on security issues and the future of Israel.
Before traveling to Washington, Netanyahu had anticipated that Iran would take center stage in his talks with Trump. The Reuters agency noted that the meeting was the first between both leaders since the military escalation between the United States, Israel and Iran and came at a particularly delicate moment for the relationship between the two governments.
Netanyahu's stated goal coincides with one of Trump's top priorities: preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The White House has portrayed military and diplomatic pressure against Tehran as part of a strategy aimed at preventing the country from gaining that capability.
However, Washington has also tried to keep the diplomatic channel open, so Trump has maintained that talks with Iran have shown progress and has raised the possibility of reaching an agreement, although he has simultaneously maintained the threat of new military actions if Tehran does not accept his conditions.
For Israel, the issue goes beyond uranium enrichment. Netanyahu has also insisted that Iran should not rebuild its ballistic missile capability or revive its nuclear program. In recent statements before the Israeli Parliament, he stated that he and Trump maintain a firm stance to prevent both objectives.
Netanyahu's visit to Washington also had a personal and political component. The prime minister went to the US capital to attend the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11 at the age of 71.
After his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu indicated that he was heading with his wife, Sara, to the funeral events and remembered the legislator as “a wonderful friend” of the couple.
“I am sure that I will represent all the citizens of Israel,” he said.
The visit was also accompanied by criticism from human rights organizations that question Washington's support for Netanyahu. Human Rights Watch has argued that the United States must respect its human rights and rule of law obligations, while international organizations have called for the implementation of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against the Israeli prime minister.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 against Netanyahu and then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israeli operations in Gaza. Netanyahu rejects the accusations and the Israeli Government questions the Court's jurisdiction over the case.
