Netanyahu’s recent trip to the White House with Donald Trump became a diplomatic failure that left him with little to show [Getty]
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left Washington empty-handed after a diplomatically and publicly bruising meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Originally expected to secure relief from newly imposed tariffs on Israeli goods, Netanyahu was instead confronted with Trump’s announcement that the US had initiated direct talks with Iran – a development long opposed by Israel.
Israel, which has historically always used Washington as a diplomatic shield, saw the move as a surprising and diplomatic blow, with Israeli media slamming it as a “humiliation” and the “worst meeting ever”.
Despite prior assumptions, Netanyahu’s sudden trip to Washington was not driven by trade tariffs but by urgent discussions about US-Iran negotiations. Trump sought to update Netanyahu on the high-level talks with Iran, aiming to prevent any disruptions, particularly from Israel, which could include military action.
Caught on camera, caught off guard
During a Zelensky-style live broadcast from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump “publicly embarrassed” Netanyahu by derailing the Israeli leader’s goals.
Trump’s direct talks with Iran were particularly challenging for Netanyahu, as Tehran had previously rejected talks, expressing mistrust of the US president. However, Trump’s threats seemed to push Iran back to the table.
“We’re dealing with the Iranians, we have a very big meeting on Saturday and we’re dealing with them directly,” Trump told reporters.
In response, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s principal aim remained the lifting of sweeping US sanctions. Their reimposition by President Trump in 2018 has dealt a heavy blow to the Iranian economy.
Trump said the talks would be “direct” but Araghchi insisted his negotiations with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday would be “indirect”.
The US president pulled out of the last deal in 2018, during his first presidency, and there has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might attack Iranian facilities if no new agreement is reached.
Regarding tariffs, Netanyahu’s efforts proved unfruitful. Despite rushing from Hungary to meet Trump, Netanyahu returned without a resolution, with the tariffs still in place.
Trump also encouraged Israel to continue its deadly military assault on Gaza, despite the devastating toll on Palestinian civilians, with over 61,000 killed and thousands more wounded and trapped under rubble.
The US President reminded Netanyahu on camera that Israel receives billions of dollars in US aid and downplayed his concerns over Turkey, praising President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“I have a very, very good relationship with Turkey and with their leader, and I think we’ll be able to work it out. So I hope that’s not going to be a problem. I don’t think it will be a problem,” Trump said. “I happen to like him, and he likes me and we’ve never had a problem.”
“If you have a problem with Turkey,” Trump warned, “I’ll fix it, as long as you act reasonably.”
Turkey emerged as a key backer of Ahmed al-Sharaa’s transitional government that toppled Bashar al-Assad. Its influence in Syria has raised the alarm in Israel, which has repeatedly carried out strikes and ground incursions into southern Syria.
Trump appeared to acknowledge Turkey’s dominance in Syria, saying he told Erdogan he had “taken it over through surrogates”.
