Trump expresses frustrations with Netanyahu before their first meeting since launching the Iran war - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday for their first in-person talks since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran. Netanyahu described the meeting as “excellent” in a Hebrew-language Instagram post afterward, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the closed-door discussion lasted almost 90 minutes and was positive and productive. Trump later wrote on social media that it was a very good meeting, without giving specifics.

AP reported that the talks came after signs of strain between Trump and Netanyahu and amid political pressure on both leaders. Netanyahu is facing reelection and criticism linked partly to his relationship with Trump, while Trump is under pressure to end a war AP described as unpopular and economically damaging ahead of November midterm elections. Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were among senior U.S. officials shown or reported in connection with Netanyahu’s Washington visit.

An Israeli official briefed on the meeting told AP, on condition of anonymity, that Netanyahu said Israel would respond if Iran attacked it, but otherwise would trust Trump’s judgment on next steps. Later Tuesday, the U.S. military said Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East, ending a brief lull; the military said all were intercepted.

The meeting matters because it tested U.S.-Israeli coordination at a volatile point in the widening conflict with Iran. AP also noted related regional fallout, including conditions near the Strait of Hormuz and war damage in southern Lebanon.