Benjamin Netanyahu and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to arrive in Washington simultaneously to attend the funeral of former Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of both leaders who died suddenly on 11 July. Both men are scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at a time when US policy towards the wars in Iran and Ukraine is in flux.
Netanyahu-Trump tensions over Iran
The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu will be their first since February, when they were in lockstep preparing for strikes against Iran that began on 28 February. Since then, tensions have risen as the war has drifted inconclusively. Trump has called the Israeli premier “crazy” and declared: “Without me, there would be no Israel.”
Fueling the tensions is continuing uncertainty over Trump’s approach to Iran. Last month, the US signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at instituting a 60-day ceasefire, during which Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations would begin over its nuclear program. Netanyahu is not believed to have been consulted on the deal, which some analysts say took little account of Israel’s interests.
Trump publicly repudiated the agreement as Iran continued to attack commercial ships. US forces struck Iranian targets for 13 consecutive nights, and Trump threatened to escalate by hitting civilian infrastructure. In recent days, the conflict has been paused amid reports of resumed negotiations and Pentagon concerns over missile stocks. Axios reported that Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, had recommended stopping the bombing campaign because it had reached the limits of effectiveness.
Netanyahu is also believed to be unhappy over a deal announced last week between the US and Saudi Arabia allowing for a civil Saudi nuclear program.
Zelenskyy’s visit amid shift on Ukraine
Zelenskyy’s presence coincides with signs of a dramatic change in the Trump administration’s posture on Ukraine, with the White House appearing more supportive of Kyiv than at any time since Trump’s return to office. The rightwing social media influencer Laura Loomer gave the latest signal of a sea change when she met Zelenskyy in Kyiv last week before publicly recanting her previous support for Russia.
Trump and Zelenskyy had a cordial meeting at this month’s Nato summit in Ankara, contrasting starkly with last year’s bitter confrontation in the White House when Trump berated his Ukrainian counterpart and told him: “You don’t have the cards.” Trump has long voiced a preference for Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy posted on social media that he had instructed Ukraine’s intelligence services to share information on Russia’s support for Iran in the conflict with the US, recording Russian satellite surveillance of US military facilities in the Gulf and those of US allies in the region. Graham, a hawkish supporter of Israel and fierce critic of Iran’s regime, met Zelenskyy in Kyiv the day before his death and had been advancing a Senate bill to strengthen sanctions on Russia.
