Trump: Netanyahu Requested White House Meeting, 'I'm the Boss'

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a meeting at the White House. Trump mentioned that the meeting could take place as early as next week, after his return from the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7th. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated that the two leaders agreed to meet soon in the United States. The Israeli side indicated that the Prime Minister's visit to the White House could occur in the week after next. This meeting between the two leaders will be approximately five months after their last encounter, a situation room meeting at the White House prior to the airstrike in Iran in February.

In an interview with Axios on the 4th (local time), President Trump remarked that Prime Minister Netanyahu knows who the boss is, suggesting he holds the initiative in their relationship. Trump's comment that "he knows who's the boss" is interpreted as an intention to demonstrate his dominant position in his relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

This meeting comes amid recent Republican pushback against the prolonged war in Iran and reports of President Trump being enraged with Prime Minister Netanyahu. At the time, Prime Minister Netanyahu had emphasized the necessity of striking Iran and influenced the U.S. decision to launch military operations.

President Trump also commented on the funeral of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, former Supreme Leader of Iran, held that day. He stated, "One shot would have (eliminated all those gathered at the funeral), but we won't do that, because we would have no one to negotiate with." He added that he was surprised to see Iranians crying at the funeral, as he thought the Iranian people hated the former Supreme Leader Khamenei. He responded by saying, "Perhaps they were fake tears."