US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during a telephone call on Friday to hold a face-to-face meeting in the United States “soon,” according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. No date or location was disclosed. The call, placed on the eve of the 250th anniversary of American independence, saw Netanyahu congratulate Trump and describe the United States as “a guarantor of global freedom,” while stressing that Israel “greatly appreciates the close ties between the nations.”

The announcement follows weeks of public and private friction between the two allies. Viewed from Washington, the White House has grown increasingly frustrated with Israel’s continued military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which US officials assess as jeopardising delicate indirect negotiations with Iran. According to accounts in American media, Trump berated Netanyahu in a June phone call, warning that the Lebanon campaign was turning international opinion against Israel and threatening to derail a potential ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Israeli government has publicly minimised the exchange, but the planned meeting is widely interpreted in European diplomatic circles as an effort to manage a relationship that has become operationally misaligned.

The core divergence centres on Iran. The Trump administration has made a negotiated settlement with Tehran its priority, with Qatari mediators reporting “positive progress” on a 14-point memorandum of understanding during talks in Doha. Those discussions are set to resume after the funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader. Israeli officials, by contrast, have expressed deep reservations. According to statements from Jerusalem, any agreement that eases economic pressure on Tehran without first dismantling its military infrastructure would be unacceptable. Israel has also signalled it will continue targeting Hezbollah capabilities in Lebanon, despite an existing ceasefire framework, arguing that the group’s disarmament is essential for regional stability. The New York Times reported that the White House suspected Israel of preparing to target Iranian negotiators, a claim that underscores the tactical gulf between the two governments.

The meeting is expected to address these tensions directly, alongside Netanyahu’s recent call to phase out US financial aid to Israel, a move he framed as a sign of economic self-sufficiency. The last Trump-Netanyahu summit, in February 2026, preceded a joint US-Israeli military strike on Iran and focused on contingency planning should diplomacy fail. While Trump has stated that negotiations remain his preferred path, he has not ruled out further military action. The dossier remains open: no final decisions have been reached, and the timing of the next round of US-Iran talks will likely shape the agenda for the leaders’ encounter.