Trump says Netanyahu seeks meeting at White House next week

White House meeting planned

US President Donald Trump told Axios on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a meeting at the White House that could take place as early as next week, marking their first encounter since February when the Israeli leader presented plans for joint military action against Iran. "We get along very good. (Netanyahu) knows who the boss is," Trump said in the brief phone interview.

An Israeli official said next week could prove too soon given Trump's scheduled trip to Türkiye for the NATO summit on July 7-8, indicating the meeting might instead take place the week after, according to Axios. Netanyahu's office confirmed that the prime minister called Trump on Friday to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of US Independence, noting that the two leaders agreed to meet soon in Washington.

Trump monitors Khamenei funeral

Trump said he was following the funeral proceedings for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on the first day of the war in a joint US-Israeli operation. The US president claimed that Iranian officials "are begging to make a deal," though both sides agreed to pause negotiations for one week until ceremonies surrounding Khamenei's burial conclude.

"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. He added that he was surprised to observe Iranians crying at the funeral, having expected widespread animosity toward the former leader, remarking: "Maybe it's fake tears."