israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of the United States Donald Trump The two sides agreed to meet in the United States in the near future following a phone conversation on Friday, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).During the call, Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and praised the close relations between the two countries.“The United States is the guarantor of freedom in the world, and Israel deeply appreciates the close ties between our two countries,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.“Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump have agreed to meet in the United States soon,” the statement added. The date or location of the meeting has not yet been announced.The conversation came in the wake of joint U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran and amid reports of tensions between the two leaders over efforts to end the conflict.
Meeting held in regional diplomacy
The planned meeting also comes as diplomatic efforts on Iran continue. Qatar and Pakistan concluded separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators in Doha on July 1, reportedly making “positive progress” on issues related to the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).A spokesman for Qatar’s foreign ministry said the two sides had agreed to continue discussions and the next round of talks would be scheduled after the funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader.
Israel continues pressure Hezbollah
It comes after Israel recently insisted it would continue military operations against Hezbollah despite a ceasefire framework with Lebanon.Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharon Haskel said Iran-backed groups continued to pose a direct security threat.“If Hezbollah continues to attack Israel, we will continue to defend our people, our communities and our military,” Haskell said.She added: “What we want most is for this Iranian terrorist army to leave Lebanon… What the Lebanese government wants to see most is for this terrorist organization to disappear and be disarmed.”
Netanyahu calls for end U.S. aid
Earlier this week, Netanyahu also announced that Israel should begin ending its reliance on U.S. financial aid.The Israeli prime minister said: “I want to stop American aid. It’s like welfare; I don’t want it.”He believes that Israel’s economy is already strong enough to meet its own needs, saying: “Our economy is no longer a small economy… We can finance ourselves with a fraction of the GDP we get from the United States. I hope that process starts this year.”
