Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump held a closed-door meeting in Washington on Tuesday, which both sides described as positive and productive. The discussions lasted about an hour and a half at the White House, marking their eighth encounter since Trump began his second term in January 2025.
Trump's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called the talks «positive and productive» on the social media platform X, while Netanyahu's delegation described them as «extremely positive». The leaders also reaffirmed their «iron commitment» to a nuclear-free Iran, according to sources from the Israeli delegation. The meeting comes amid the ongoing Iran war and just months before crucial elections in both countries: Israel will elect a new parliament on October 27, and the United States holds congressional midterm elections on November 3.
Analysts view the visit as an effort to counter reports of cooling relations between the two allies. Jonatan Freeman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem noted that the main goal was to show «the world, Iran, and Lebanon as well» that there is more agreement than disagreement between Trump and Netanyahu. Before his departure, Netanyahu had stated that he wanted to discuss the situation of the Iran war personally with Trump for the first time since the conflict began six months ago.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office for discussions lasting over an hour. Zelenskyy had said the meeting would focus on further US support to end Russia's war against Ukraine, with priority on strengthening air defense. The United States sees itself as a mediator in the conflict, though its efforts have recently taken a back seat due to its own war with Iran. Trump and Zelenskyy have met several times in recent weeks, including at the NATO summit in Ankara and the G7 summit in Évian, France.
In a separate development, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards released a propaganda video threatening Melania Trump and Barron Trump. The clip, circulated on social media, ends with the president's wife and son directly targeted by the Revolutionary Guards. The White House has not yet commented on the threats.
Boeing also reported deepened losses in the second quarter, largely due to cost overruns on the Air Force One project. The company wrote down $280 million on the two Boeing 747-8 aircraft ordered by the US government in 2018 for a fixed price of $3.9 billion. Boeing is now four years behind schedule and more than a billion dollars over budget, with delivery expected in 2028. Meanwhile, Trump is using a 747-8 loaned by Qatar. Boeing's net loss narrowed to $428 million from $612 million a year earlier, while revenue rose 8 percent to $24.6 billion.
A diplomatic clash occurred at the United Nations Security Council between France and the United States. US representatives walked out of a session on Monday in an unusual move when France's UN ambassador began speaking, though details of the disagreement remain unclear. The incident underscores growing tensions between the two traditional allies over various international issues.
Later on Tuesday, Trump, Netanyahu, and Zelenskyy were expected to attend a memorial service for the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, who was a key supporter of both Ukraine and Israel in Congress. Graham died recently, leaving a void in bipartisan foreign policy advocacy.