Netanyahu's Message and Its Opposite: An Unscheduled Meeting at the White House

The day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday morning, a delegation of senior Saudi officials arrived at the White House with a message for US President Donald Trump. Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, who according to CNN arrived for an unscheduled visit to Washington, delivered a message to the President and his Vice President JD Vance from his brother, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stating that Saudi Arabia is interested in de-escalation with Iran. According to sources familiar with the talks, bin Salman made it clear to the President that continuing the fighting carries significant risks.

According to Israeli sources who spoke to the American network, when Netanyahu entered the same door the day before, he presented Trump with the opposite message and expressed doubt that diplomatic efforts with Iran would yield results. Instead, the sources said, the two discussed options for increasing pressure on Iran, including the resumption of large-scale war. The meetings were scheduled one after the other by chance, but they illustrate the dilemma facing Trump, who is trying to end the war before it causes him further damage before the midterm elections in November.

At Trump's meeting with Netanyahu this week, which was also attended by Steve Witkoff and other senior officials, the Prime Minister expressed doubt that diplomacy with Iran would succeed. Instead, the two discussed various options for increasing pressure on Iran, including intensifying military strikes and increasing economic pressure. One of the sources said that Netanyahu made it clear to Trump that the American President is the final decision-maker, in an attempt to refute claims that Israel is trying to push him to resume the war.