Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday for the eighth time since Trump returned to office, as the two leaders seek to narrow differences over Iran and restore the close coordination that marked the opening months of the war, according to Axios.

The meeting comes days after Trump paused U.S. strikes on Iran and renewed efforts to negotiate an agreement with Tehran. Israeli officials were initially uncertain about Washington’s plans, prompting Netanyahu and the IDF to prepare for the possibility that major U.S. military operations could resume before Israel learned that Trump had decided to hold fire.

Trump has said he is still considering a renewed large-scale military campaign if negotiations fail. Such an operation could involve close coordination with Israel, making Tuesday’s meeting potentially significant as the president weighs his next steps.

During the first months of the war, Trump and Netanyahu spoke nearly every day to coordinate strategy and exchange views. Their conversations have become less frequent in recent weeks, however, and Netanyahu has increasingly relied on Secretary of State Marco Rubio for updates on Trump’s thinking and the administration’s plans.

Netanyahu had sought to visit the White House last week but was unable to secure a meeting at that time. Despite recent differences, Trump continues to publicly describe his relationship with Netanyahu as strong, saying Monday that the two leaders have “a little difference” on Iran but remain “pretty close.”

The Israeli prime minister has also differed with the administration over several major regional issues. Netanyahu opposed Trump’s decision to advance an F-35 sale to Turkey and was caught off guard by the nuclear agreement reached with Saudi Arabia, which did not include a requirement that Riyadh normalize relations with Israel.

Still, Netanyahu has repeatedly entered meetings with Trump amid uncertainty and emerged with the president more closely aligned with Israel’s position. Israeli officials will be watching closely to see whether Tuesday’s private meeting produces renewed coordination on Iran and other regional security issues.

The meeting is currently expected to be closed to the press.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)