Trump Meets Netanyahu and Zelenskyy Amid Ukraine-Iran Clash

President Donald Trump hosted separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on July 29, 2026. The diplomatic visits occurred as the U.S. military intercepted multiple ballistic missiles launched by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Middle East.

Zelenskyy and Netanyahu also held brief conversations in Washington during a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham. These encounters followed the first direct confrontation between Kyiv and Tehran, in which Ukrainian drones struck the Iranian vessel Anna in the Caspian Sea, killing one sailor. Ukraine claimed the ship was transporting drone and missile components for Russia, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strike as a violation of the U.N. Charter.

To prevent further escalation, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Araghchi held a phone call. Sybiha described the strike as unintentional and urged Iran to end its support for Russia. Araghchi stated that while Iran does not seek escalation, attacks on its citizens are unacceptable and must be answered with compensation.

In his 90-minute closed-door meeting with Trump, Netanyahu focused on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, implementing a U.S.-sponsored framework deal with Lebanon, and expanding the Abraham Accords. Trump expressed frustration regarding the handling of intelligence on the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, though Netanyahu described the meeting as a full partnership.