As the military standoff between the U.S. and Iran eases temporarily, Netanyahu will travel to the U.S. to urge Trump to maintain close scrutiny of Iran's nuclear activities. He also stated he is prepared to attend the United Nations General Assembly as originally planned. In light of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant and controversy involving New York City Mayor Mamdani, he said he would not alter his itinerary.
On Tuesday this week, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will urge the United States to maintain its close focus on Iran’s nuclear program during his meeting with President Trump. Netanyahu stated that his visit is not intended to present new intelligence, but rather to emphasize the need for 'sustained' and rigorous monitoring of Tehran’s nuclear activities.
In an interview with Fox News’ 'Sunday Morning Futures,' he said: 'Our intelligence agencies and yours cooperate so closely that I am not going there to submit any new intelligence. But I believe it is a good opportunity to sit down with our dear friend President Trump and hear what is on his mind—because in many ways, I think the ultimate decision rests with him.'
Netanyahu also acknowledged that he does not possess new evidence demonstrating that Iran’s capacity to build nuclear weapons has been destroyed. According to him, actions taken by the U.S. and Israel have 'delayed Iran’s nuclear capabilities by several years,' but this does not mean Tehran will not attempt to rebuild the damaged components.
He said, 'Yes, we have pushed it back, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be efforts to restore it.' He added, 'We must maintain continuous surveillance to prevent this from happening.'
At the opening of his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu also said he would discuss 'all items currently on the agenda, including the situation concerning Iran,' during his meeting with Trump. He will attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, describing the late U.S. senator as 'one of Israel’s greatest friends since its founding,' and stated that 'it is only fitting that we pay him this honor.'
The meeting comes amid a temporary de-escalation in U.S.-Iran military tensions. Over the past weekend, neither President Trump nor the U.S. military provided public explanations for their apparent pause in strikes against Iran, which had been intensifying over the previous two weeks. Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz indicated on NBC that Trump was creating space for negotiations. On the same day, Iran held talks with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian military officials announced they had halted retaliatory attacks.
In the same interview, Netanyahu also addressed his planned trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, stating he would proceed as scheduled despite the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against him or his dispute with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
He stated: 'I intend to go to the UN podium, speak the truth, and stand up for Israel and the U.S.-Israel alliance.'
He also revealed that he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who pledged that the United States would take action against the International Criminal Court—'a court that not only undermines justice worldwide but also threatens the right of democratic sovereign states to exercise their sovereignty.'
The controversy surrounding this issue began with a shift in Mayor Mamdani’s statements last week. Mamdani has since abandoned his push to enforce the arrest warrant against Netanyahu, acknowledging he lacks the legal authority to do so; however, in the same video, he still referred to Netanyahu as a war criminal, accusing him of committing 'horrific acts of genocide against the Palestinian people' and declaring him 'unwelcome' in New York City.
Netanyahu hit back on Fox News, calling Mamdani's allegations "baseless accusations" and accusing the mayor of dividing New Yorkers while "inciting hatred."
Mamdani retracted his earlier position following a social media post by Trump last week, in which Trump stated that despite actions taken by the International Criminal Court, Netanyahu would "never, in any way, shape, or form," be arrested in the United States.
In this context, U.S. law and diplomatic conventions also provide relevant background. Heads of state traditionally enjoy diplomatic immunity during official visits to the United States; furthermore, the U.S. is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and therefore has no legal obligation to enforce its arrest warrants.
Regarding Gaza, Israel denies allegations of committing genocide. Israeli authorities maintain that its military operations in Gaza constitute legitimate self-defense on behalf of its citizens and are a justified response to Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.
Referring to Israeli military operations in the West Bank following last Friday’s deadly clashes, Netanyahu stated, “Our orders were to enter villages, conduct searches, seize weapons, and make arrests.” He added that Israel is “prepared to take action against terrorist strongholds on a broader scale.”
Editor/Joe