Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised his latest bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday evening, describing the session as "one of the best conversations" held with the American leader. The encounter marked their eighth meeting in two years, focusing primarily on strategic coordination regarding the Iranian nuclear program.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a video statement summarizing the session as a complete success. "I just had an excellent meeting with President Trump, and when I say excellent, I do not mean it superficially," Netanyahu stated. "It was a conversation with full partnership, mutual support, and an understanding of the shared goal: to ensure that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, as well as other goals."
The meeting was held in an expanded format featuring top officials from both administrations, rather than a private one on one session. Attending alongside President Trump were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The Israeli delegation included National Security Advisor Shmuel Ben Ezra, Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Chief of Staff Ido Norden, Military Secretary Guy Markizano, Policy Advisor Caroline Glick, and Diplomatic Advisor Ophir Falk.
Israeli officials present at the session noted that maximum coordination was achieved between the two delegations. Despite earlier concerns regarding potential American pressure on Israel to execute troop withdrawals from Syria or Lebanon, Israeli representatives confirmed that no such demands were made during the talks.
The meeting took place shortly before both leaders attended the memorial service for late Senator Lindsey Graham. During the talks, Netanyahu referred to Graham as "the best friend of Israel," prompting President Trump to intervene jokingly, stating, "No, I am the number one friend of the state of Israel."
According to statements provided by Israeli officials to Reuters, Prime Minister Netanyahu will continue diplomatic engagements with senior administration figures in Washington before departing for Israel on Wednesday evening. Strategic coordination remains focused on preventing nuclear escalation while maintaining regional security frameworks.
