Trump says Netanyahu 'knows who the boss is' as White House visit looms amid Iran war tensions

A meeting in the works

President Donald Trump told Axios on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had requested a White House meeting and could arrive as soon as next week. The two leaders last met in February, when Netanyahu presented his plan for a joint US-Israeli war against Iran. An Israeli official, however, said the trip might be delayed until the following week because Trump will attend the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8.

We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is.

Netanyahu's office confirmed the two had spoken on Friday, when the prime minister congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of US independence. The statement said they "agreed to meet soon in the United States."

Friction over Iran and Lebanon

Behind the planned visit lie months of growing tension. Trump has openly criticised Netanyahu for Israel's escalation in Lebanon, which threatens to derail ceasefire negotiations with Iran. Last month, Trump signed a memorandum of understanding extending the ceasefire and launching fresh nuclear talks, despite Netanyahu's reservations. A US official told Axios that many of Trump's closest advisers now believe Netanyahu "was wrong about everything."

Many of Trump's closest advisers think that Bibi was wrong about everything.

Trump reportedly called Netanyahu "crazy" in a phone call last month and accused him of ingratitude. The rift has deepened a Republican split over Israel, with MAGA figures like Tucker Carlson accusing Trump of being beholden to Netanyahu.

Trump on Iran's leadership

Trump also commented on the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli war that began on February 28. He claimed Iran is "begging for a deal" but both sides agreed to pause talks for a week of mourning. Trump noted that all Iranian leaders had gathered for the funeral and joked about a single strike, but said he would not act because "then we wouldn't have anyone to negotiate with." He expressed surprise at the public grief, suggesting the tears might be fake.

They're all there. One shot... but we're not going to do it because then we wouldn't have anyone to negotiate with.

Domestic pressures on both sides

The meeting carries political weight for both leaders. Netanyahu faces an October election in Israel and is trailing in polls, making a White House visit a valuable campaign asset. Trump, meanwhile, is grappling with sagging approval ratings as the Iran war drags on. A Quinnipiac University poll from June 24 found that 60 percent of US voters believe the war is "not worth it," while only 34 percent approve of the conflict. The same survey showed 48 percent think the US is too supportive of Israel.

What comes next

If the meeting proceeds after the NATO summit, it would be the first face-to-face encounter since the dramatic February session in the crisis room. The agenda is likely to cover the stalled Iran ceasefire, the Lebanon front, and the broader US-Israeli relationship, which has rarely appeared this strained in public.