Immediately after his arrival in Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with high-ranking representatives of the US President. At Blair House, the official guest residence of the US government, he held talks with US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, “regional issues” were at the center—particularly the recent contacts between Washington and Tehran.
The meeting was also attended by Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, and Netanyahu’s military secretary, Roman Gofman. From Jerusalem it was stated that Witkoff and Kushner briefed the Prime Minister on the first round of talks with Iran.
Netanyahu’s trip is his seventh visit to the United States since the start of Donald Trump’s second term. Already on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport he made clear what the Washington visit is about: “I will present the President with our view of the central principles in the negotiations—principles that in my opinion are important not only for Israel, but for everyone who seeks peace and security in the Middle East.”
Iran at the center of strategic coordination
The background to these consultations is the resumption of indirect talks between the United States and Iran. While Washington wants to keep diplomatic channels open, Jerusalem insists that any possible agreements must not be limited to the nuclear program alone. Israel has long demanded that Iran’s ballistic missile programs as well as support for regional proxy organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas be included in a comprehensive security architecture.
Israeli security circles emphasize that a purely nuclear agreement without structural limits on missile range and without containment of Tehran’s regional expansion would be insufficient from Jerusalem’s perspective. Netanyahu is expected to represent this position forcefully in the White House as well.
Meeting with Rubio before talks with Trump
A meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled for Wednesday morning, followed by a private meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The sequence of appointments underscores the strategic dimension of the visit: first coordination with the foreign policy establishment, then the fundamental political decision at the highest level.
Observers in Washington note that in his second term Trump is attempting to restructure his Middle East policy. While on the one hand he relies on economic pressure and diplomatic levers, he has repeatedly made clear that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable to him. Whether this will result in tougher sanctions or a modified agreement remains open for now.
Gaza and regional dynamics
In addition to Iran, the situation in Gaza is also expected to be discussed. The debate over a post-war order, international administration models, and security guarantees for Israel remains closely linked to the Iran question. In Jerusalem, Tehran continues to be seen as the central strategic actor behind the military buildup of Islamist groups.
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