Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday for the first time since the Iran war began, over which the two leaders have publicly disagreed. The war started with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. According to a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity, the talks will cover the framework deal signed with Lebanon, the expansion of the Abraham Accords, and the conflict with Iran. Netanyahu said before departing Israel that he would “discuss all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost Iran” and that his goal is “to safeguard our security and also to expand the circle of peace around us.”

Relations between the two leaders reached a low point in April during ceasefire negotiations, with Trump unleashing profanity-laced tirades against his Israeli ally and later describing Netanyahu as a “very difficult guy.” Netanyahu downplayed the exchanges as “tactical disagreements” and said they were aligned on the war’s goals. Trump acknowledged “a small difference” on Iran but said the two were “quite close,” according to a reported statement to journalists.

Israel has not taken part in the latest round of US-Iran hostilities that flared earlier this month after an April ceasefire collapsed. Washington says it wants to give negotiations a chance. According to Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the primary aim of the visit is to show Iran, Lebanon and others that there is no break or major disagreement between the United States and Israel. Freeman said any differences concern means — timeline, intensity and immediate objectives — rather than ends.

The leaders were expected to discuss the implementation of a US-sponsored framework deal signed by Israel and Lebanon last month, whose application on the ground has been challenging. The talks were also expected to touch on Gaza, where diplomatic efforts for reconstruction are at a standstill nearly three years after the Israel-Hamas war broke out. Netanyahu's visit comes months ahead of Israeli elections, in which he is seeking another term. Recent polls show him trailing, with public anger lingering over his government's failure to prevent Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.