Netanyahu to meet with Trump, attend Graham funeral as Iran conflict widens

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Trump in Washington next week as the widening U.S.-Israeli war with Iran fuels growing concerns about the conflict's endgame.

Netanyahu will travel to Washington on Monday and meet with Trump at the White House, according to his office. He will also attend the funeral of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a staunch supporter of Israel and leading advocate for confronting Tehran and its embattled nuclear program.

The meeting will mark the first face-to-face talks between Trump and Netanyahu since the conflict began in late February.

The U.S. and Iran, after a fragile ceasefire crumbled over a power struggle in the Strait of Hormuz, launched fresh tit-for-tat strikes earlier this month. The rising death toll among Americans, impact on global fuel prices and attacks from Houthi rebels in the Red Sea have raised fears of a broader regional war.

Overnight, U.S. Central Command concluded its 13th consecutive day of strikes on military targets it claimed were used to stifle commercial shipping through the strait.

Trump is weighing additional military action as Republican defense hawks on Capitol Hill push the Pentagon to expand its strategy against Tehran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also defended the administration's moves in recent days, arguing the military campaign is aimed at protecting U.S. forces and staving off other threats from the Iranian regime.

The conflict has also exposed cracks within the president's political coalition. Support for the war has declined among some of his MAGA base, where skepticism of prolonged overseas military involvement has long been a defining issue.

Graham, who died earlier this month at age 71 as a result of an aortic dissection, was among the president's top defenders amid the conflict and an aggressive proponent of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu's attendance at the South Carolina Republican's funeral adds a personal dimension to the visit. Following Graham's death, the Israeli leader commended him for doing what "he thought was good for America."

He added that he recently spoke with the late senator, who encouraged Israel to do whatever was necessary to remove the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities.

"I think that Lindsey was unabashed. He talked to me about it. He said, 'You know, you have to do it. You have to do it.' He came to me and said, 'Bibi, you have to do it. You have to knock out these nuclear weapons program before they knock us out.' He was very clear about that," Netanyahu told NBC's "Meet the Press" at the time, referring to a nickname for himself.