US President Donald Trump was initially reluctant to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Prime Minister's current visit to Washington, according to a CNN report citing US and Israeli sources.
According to the report, Netanyahu had sought for several weeks to secure a White House meeting with Trump to discuss developments following the war with Iran and to present Israel's assessment of Iran's nuclear and military rebuilding efforts.
CNN reported that Trump was resistant to scheduling the meeting and that some White House officials were frustrated by what they viewed as Israeli efforts to generate momentum for a meeting through media reports. The funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham ultimately created an opportunity for the two leaders to meet while both were in Washington.
A senior US administration official told CNN that Trump maintains a "strong relationship" with Netanyahu and described Israel as having "no greater friend" than the American President. The official also said the actions taken by the US and Israel had made both countries safer by denying Iran the ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
Relations between Trump and Netanyahu have become more strained since their previous meeting five months ago. While the two leaders closely coordinated during the military campaign against Iran, differences later emerged over how long the conflict should continue, with Netanyahu favoring continued military pressure while Trump sought to end the fighting.
Several outlets have reported that Netanyahu intends to present Trump with updated intelligence on Iran's military and nuclear programs, although an Israeli source said Israel believes Trump has little interest in resuming a broader military campaign before the US elections in November.
Disagreements between the two leaders have also extended to Lebanon, where Trump has pushed Israel to end military operations, and to other regional issues, including possible US sales of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and a potential US-Saudi civil nuclear agreement.
Netanyahu plans to seek assurances that any future US arms sales to Turkey or nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia will not undermine Israel's qualitative military edge. The report added that he is also expected to discuss a long-term US-Israel defense agreement.
Ahead of his departure for Washington, Netanyahu said he intended to discuss "all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost, Iran," adding that Israel's goals are to safeguard its security and expand the circle of peace.
Israeli officials acknowledged it took time to finalize the meeting with Trump and that the Prime Minister was initially unable to secure an appointment. The meeting was confirmed only after Netanyahu announced he would attend Graham's funeral.
The meeting is not expected to include a public photo opportunity, in contrast with earlier meetings between the leaders, which were highly celebratory events. The previous meeting in February was also closed to reporters due to sensitive military planning for the war with Iran. It is speculated that while the upcoming meeting's secrecy could be for the same reason, it may very well be due to the growing disagreements between the two.