Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington on Monday for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss tariffs and Iran, his office announced on Saturday.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the meeting would take place on Monday.
The discussions will cover a range of critical issues, including Trump’s unexpected decision to impose 17 percent tariffs on Israeli imports, ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, and increasing concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Netanyahu’s office stated that the meeting would focus on “tariffs, efforts to secure the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the fight against the International Criminal Court,” which has accused Netanyahu of war crimes.
Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to travel to Washington in an attempt to negotiate an exemption from Trump’s sweeping global tariffs.
Israel had attempted to preemptively avoid the tariffs by eliminating duties on the small percentage of American goods still subject to them. However, Trump proceeded with the tariff measures, citing the U.S. trade deficit with Israel, despite the country being a major recipient of American military aid.
On Thursday, Trump hinted at Netanyahu’s visit, saying, “maybe even next week,” though some Israeli officials and even members of the Trump administration were reportedly caught off guard, according to Axios.
The meeting will also address stalled negotiations on a new Gaza ceasefire deal and efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. Israel resumed military operations in Gaza last month, ending a brief truce.
Trump has also been pressuring Iran to agree to a new nuclear deal, but progress has been slow. Speculation continues that Israel, possibly with U.S. assistance, could launch a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if diplomatic efforts fail.
Originally, Netanyahu’s U.S. visit was expected to take place later in the month, but Axios reported that it was moved up following Trump’s tariff announcement.
Trump and Netanyahu spoke by phone on Thursday regarding Hungary’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the possibility of a Washington visit was reportedly raised during that conversation.
