However, many of Netanyahu\u2019s reported predictions<\/a> \u2014 that Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program could be destroyed in a few weeks; that Tehran would be so weakened by US-Israeli attacks that it would be unable to block traffic through the Strait of Hormuz; that it would likely be unable to strike US assets in neighboring countries; and that the regime was ripe for collapse, thanks to help from Kurdish fighters capable of invading the country from Iraq \u2014 did not ultimately pan out.<\/p>\n \t Instead, the US risks becoming embroiled in an extended conflict with Iran with no obvious exit strategy and without achieving any of the key goals with which it entered the war.<\/p>\n Over the weekend, Trump halted nearly two weeks of strikes on Iran that prompted Iranian attacks on US bases across the region, although not at Israel, with the US leader saying he wanted to give space for talks.<\/p>\n Trump has warned that he is also still considering a renewed, large-scale offensive against Iran if they don\u2019t reach a deal amid disagreements over operations in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n But a widely publicized sit-down with Netanyahu on the eve of such an attack would only reinforce the belief that Israel continues to wield outsized influence over Trump\u2019s decision-making.<\/p>\n To be clear, Israel would like to see the resumption of strikes against Iran, deeming the war\u2019s mission as not yet accomplished, a US official told The Times of Israel.<\/p>\n However, that doesn\u2019t mean that Jerusalem wants to be seen as driving Trump\u2019s decision-making, as it seeks to stop hemorrhaging support for the Jewish state among Democrats and Republicans alike, the official said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no truth in the claim that Israel is pushing the US in a certain direction on the Iran issue,\u201d National Public Diplomacy Directorate head Tzipi Hotovely told reporters in a briefing after the meeting.<\/p>\n Netanyahu himself claimed the meeting was one of the best they had yet, while the White House called<\/a> it \u201cpositive and productive.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Hotovely expressed frustration with what she said were false reports from earlier in the day stating that Netanyahu planned to brief Trump on intelligence showing Iranian activity at the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site.<\/p>\n Trump, before<\/a> the meeting, told Fox News that he had no need for such intel from Netanyahu, dismissing the site as a non-issue, lamenting Israel\u2019s leak of the information and claiming that the premier was only going to bring it up because \u201che wants me to stay involved\u201d on Iran.<\/p>\n A day earlier, Trump expressed additional annoyance at Netanyahu for publicly lobbying the US against selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, remarking<\/a> to reporters that \u201cnobody tells me what we should be selling.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, Trump insisted that his relationship with Netanyahu remains strong, even if they have some differences regarding Iran.<\/p>\n Those disagreements just weren\u2019t something he made a point of highlighting the last time they met in February.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tUS President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in the Oval Office with their aides on July 28, 2026. (GPO)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-28-at-18.53.21.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and US President Donald Trump meet in the Oval Office on July 28, 2026. (GPO)<\/p>\n
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