Netanyahu's US Visit Schedule Excludes Meeting with President Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming visit to the United States will not include a meeting with President Donald Trump, according to a senior U.S. official. The official stated that no meeting between the two leaders is currently planned, as Netanyahu is expected to arrive in New York after Trump has already departed the city. A diplomatic source confirmed that Netanyahu's trip will be brief, with his arrival in New York timed just before his speech at the UN and an immediate return to Israel. A planned meeting with Elon Musk in Texas has also been canceled.

Trump's agenda at the UN will focus heavily on Iran and Gaza. He is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly, emphasizing the principle that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons, and will present the administration's progress on its "20-point plan" for Gaza. Trump will also hold a multilateral meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with Iran expected to be a central topic of discussion throughout the week. A senior U.S. official expressed confidence that increasing pressure on Iran, through economic and military actions, is weakening Tehran's leverage and will eventually lead it to abandon its nuclear ambitions. U.S. sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong entities aiding Iran are also expected to continue.

Following his UN engagements, Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington for a three-day state visit. The visit will include a military ceremony, a state dinner, and meetings to discuss sensitive bilateral issues, including artificial intelligence, trade, and China's supply of fentanyl precursors and rare earth minerals. The U.S. administration intends to raise these issues, while also discussing potential tariff reductions on a narrow range of non-strategic goods.

The state dinner for Xi Jinping is expected to draw significant attention, with a guest list that includes prominent figures from the American tech industry such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, and Tim Cook, alongside former Apple CEO Tim Cook.