Netanyahu Plans Washington Visit to Meet Trump Amid Rising Iran Tensions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington on Saturday night to seek a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Israeli sources speaking to ynet overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. The planned visit comes amid renewed American sanctions on Iranian ports and heightened tensions with Iran. Although a meeting has not yet been officially scheduled, Netanyahu's office had aimed to arrange the encounter last week, following their last meeting on February 11 in the White House situation room.

Netanyahu is reportedly eager to restore trust with Trump, which has deteriorated since the conflict with Iran, amid concerns that Trump may blame Israel for the war's failures. Another key motive is to present the U.S. with Israeli intelligence ahead of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran on a permanent agreement. Israel wants the U.S. to insist not only on reducing enriched uranium but also on removing it entirely from Iranian territory. Additionally, Netanyahu intends to emphasize the importance of including ballistic missile threats and Iran’s support for proxy groups in any deal.

The visit follows a recent phone call in which Trump reportedly urged Netanyahu to redeploy Israeli forces out of Syria and similarly reduce presence in Lebanon, stating, "Bibi, they don’t want you there. You need to redeploy your forces," according to a senior American official. Netanyahu’s office responded that the prime minister stressed Israel’s need to maintain security zones in both Syria and Lebanon. Netanyahu’s team also claimed that media reports misrepresented Trump’s comments.

This visit underscores Israel’s strategic efforts to influence U.S. policy on Iran and regional security amid escalating tensions and ongoing diplomatic negotiations.