‘Weaker, less influential’ Netanyahu to meet with Trump: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for the eighth time since Trump's return to office, but he arrives "weaker and less influential," Axios reported Tuesday hours before the meeting.

Earlier this year, Trump and Netanyahu appeared closely aligned on Iran war, but five months later their interests have diverged, with growing mistrust and frustration on both sides.

The visit comes after Trump paused US strikes on Iran and renewed efforts to negotiate with Tehran. While Israel prepared for the possibility of expanded US military action due to limited coordination, it only learned late Friday that Trump had decided not to escalate.

The report said that communication between the two leaders has declined in recent weeks. Netanyahu has increasingly relied on Secretary of State Marco Rubio for insight into Trump's thinking and even struggled to secure this week's White House meeting.

Since the April 8 ceasefire, Netanyahu's influence over Trump's decisions has weakened, the report said.

Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran despite Netanyahu's objections, and Israeli efforts to persuade him to continue military operations were unsuccessful. Netanyahu avoided publicly criticizing the deal, hoping it would eventually collapse, which it did weeks later.

Trump recently admitted there is some disagreement with Netanyahu, saying, "We have a little difference, but pretty close," when asked whether they shared the same position on Iran.

Netanyahu has also lost support in Washington, facing criticism from Democrats, Trump's allies, and parts of the MAGA movement.

Many senior officials in Trump's inner circle have come to view Netanyahu with disdain, arguing he was consistently wrong about the war, the report said.