Washington, July 30: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in separate discussions with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. He also met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
During the meeting at the Blair House, footage released by the Prime Minister’s office showed Netanyahu and Hegseth shaking hands and conversing, accompanied by several military and civilian officials.
Secretary Hegseth shared images from the meeting on the social media platform X, expressing his pleasure in meeting Netanyahu. He noted that his team members, including Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby and Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Sean Parnell, joined him to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening defense partnerships and advancing shared security interests.
A senior official revealed that Netanyahu discussed the creation of a new joint U.S.-Israel fund worth approximately $16 billion with top Trump administration officials. This fund is intended for research and development of new weapon systems.
Additionally, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office released photos of Trump and Netanyahu together. An Israeli official described the meeting as “very positive.”
According to a White House official, discussions between the two leaders were expected to cover topics such as war with Iran, negotiations related to Lebanon, and efforts to advance the Abraham Accords.
Netanyahu was anticipated to provide Trump with intelligence regarding Iran’s alleged activities, including a location known as Pickaxe Mountain, believed to be linked to Tehran’s nuclear program.
However, Trump appeared displeased that the Israeli leader had publicly announced his plans beforehand. He remarked to Fox News, “I heard Netanyahu made the announcement. I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me? What was the need to announce it to the whole world?'”
The U.S. President indicated that he is open to re-engaging in talks with Iran, while Israel continues to advocate for maintaining pressure on the country. Trump acknowledged on Monday that there are some differences between the two nations.
He stated, “There is a slight difference between us, but we are quite close.”
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