Netanyahu Will Meet Trump Tuesday, Same Day as Lindsey Graham's Funeral in Washington

Benjamin Netanyahu will land in Washington on Monday, meet Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, and attend Lindsey Graham's funeral the same day, according to the Israeli prime minister's office and reporting from Jewish Insider. It will be Netanyahu and Trump's first in-person sitdown since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began in late February.

Graham, the South Carolina Republican and longtime Israel hawk, died suddenly on July 11. His funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at the National Cathedral. Netanyahu said Israel "lost one of its greatest friends," according to Jewish Insider, citing Graham's advocacy against Iran's nuclear program.

Netanyahu's office told i24NEWS he will travel aboard the Wing of Zion with his official entourage, but this time without the usual delegation of Israeli journalists. No return date had been announced as of Friday, though KFI AM 640 reported he is expected back in Israel by Wednesday.

Trump told Axios on Thursday he's considering restarting major combat operations against Iran, potentially larger than the strikes carried out before the ceasefire took hold in early April, according to Jewish Insider. The U.S. has continued nightly strikes on Iran, and i24NEWS reported Washington has completed preparations for a broader offensive that could launch with little warning.

Israel has moved to its highest state of readiness. Netanyahu convened the security cabinet Thursday, and the full cabinet is set to meet Sunday, according to i24NEWS. Israeli officials believe the situation is moving toward a wider confrontation, with the U.S. still pressing Tehran to return to negotiations while warning of a major attack if it doesn't.

Iran isn't staying quiet either. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Friday at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Kyrgyzstan that any country participating in, cooperating with, or assisting attacks against Iran would be considered a "legitimate target," according to i24NEWS. That's a direct threat aimed at squeezing whatever coalition Washington might build for an expanded campaign.

Netanyahu travels under an outstanding International Criminal Court warrant tied to war crimes charges related to Gaza operations, according to KFI AM 640. The U.S. isn't an ICC signatory and has rejected any suggestion it would detain him. That's a legal reality: the ICC issued the warrant, member states are technically obligated to enforce it, and the U.S. simply doesn't recognize the court's jurisdiction over American allies. Whether that arrangement should hold is a legitimate policy argument on both sides, but no U.S. official has signaled any change in posture.

The Oval Office meeting is expected to center on next steps against Iran, according to Jewish Insider. Congress is also weighing a defense budget that KFI AM 640 says could further integrate U.S. and Israeli military operations, though no vote or final figure was reported.

The open question is timing. Israeli officials, per i24NEWS, expect a decision on a broader U.S. offensive could come with little warning, potentially drawing Israel into a wider fight it's already bracing for. Whether Trump and Netanyahu emerge from Tuesday's meeting with a green light, a delay, or another attempt at negotiations with Tehran remains unknown as of Friday.