Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have agreed to meet in the United States soon, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office after they spoke over the phone on Friday. 

Later, speaking to Axios, Trump confirmed that the two leaders could meet as early as next week after he returns from the NATO summit, adding that Netanyahu had requested the meeting.

‘Netanyahu knows who the boss is’ – Trump

“We get along very good. (Netanyahu) knows who the boss is,” Trump said, referring to himself.

The meeting, if it happens, will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since their dramatic Situation Room discussion in February. During that meeting, Netanyahu reportedly presented a plan for a joint US-Israel war against Iran. 

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The conversation took place as the US continues peace negotiations with Iran, something that has caused concern in Israel. Israeli leaders fear that any agreement between Washington and Tehran could hurt Israel’s security. At the same time, there have also been reports that Trump recently looked at the possibility of returning to military action against Iran.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump recently reviewed options for launching another large-scale military campaign against Iran. However, he ultimately chose to continue with diplomatic efforts instead. 

Netanyahu congratulated Trump on US Independence Day 

Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli leader spoke with Trump on Friday to congratulate him on the United States’ 250th Independence Day. 

According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu told Trump that the United States remains “a guarantor of global freedom” and said Israel deeply values the close relationship between the two countries. 

“During their conversation, the Prime Minister said that the United States is a guarantor of global freedom, and that Israel greatly values the close relationship between the two nations. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump agreed to meet soon in the United States,” Netanyahu’s office said.

Trump’s inner circle has grown more critical of Netanyahu 

Although Trump and Netanyahu have worked closely together in the past, people close to the US president have reportedly become more doubtful about the Israeli leader since their February meeting.

“Many of Trump’s closest advisers think that Bibi was wrong about everything,” a US official said, using Netanyahu’s nickname, told Axios.

Last month, Trump reportedly had a heated phone call with Netanyahu after Israel stepped up military action in Lebanon. During the conversation, Trump called the Israeli prime minister “crazy” and accused him of being ungrateful. 

The growing divide has also become a concern within the Republican Party over Israel and the war. Some influential voices in the MAGA movement, including Tucker Carlson, have accused Trump of being too closely tied to Netanyahu. 

Over the past two months, Trump and Netanyahu have found themselves on different pages over security, foreign policy and even domestic political interests. Despite Netanyahu’s concerns, Trump signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last month that extended the ceasefire with Iran and restarted nuclear negotiations.

Trump also urged Netanyahu to limit Israeli military operations in Lebanon, saying the fighting was becoming an obstacle to talks with Iran. He also pushed for a framework agreement that would require an initial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Trump comments on Iran and Khamenei’s funeral 

Trump also told Axios that he has been closely following the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who, according to the report, was assassinated on the first day of the war in a joint US-Israeli operation. 

Trump claimed that Iran is eager to restart negotiations. “They are begging to make a deal,” he said.

However, Trump said both sides had agreed to pause the talks for about a week until events surrounding Khamenei’s funeral are over. He also said that, during this period, neither side would attack the other.

“They are all there. One shot [and we can take them all out], but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with,” Trump said.