World Leaders Jockey For Meeting With Trump On Sidelines Of Graham's Funeral

World leaders are pushing for a meeting with President Donald Trump next week, as longtime American allies head to Washington for Lindsey Graham’s funeral.

“At the invitation of President Trump, [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart for Washington on Monday,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Friday, adding that a White House visit is scheduled for Tuesday.

The White House has not confirmed the meeting with Netanyahu will take place and did not respond to a request for comment on his announcement.

The White House separately confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Following the longtime South Carolina senator’s death, Zelenskyy eulogized Graham as “a staunch advocate for bipartisan and bicameral support for Ukraine.”

The meetings come as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran continues to escalate, following recent military threats from Trump and increasing tensions over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices surged to $100 per barrel on Thursday, the highest in nearly two months after Iran-backed Houthi militants said they struck two tankers in the Red Sea.

Trump formally notified lawmakers on July 10 that the U.S. is once again at war with Iran.

He also took to Truth Social on Monday to promise that Iran would pay “many times over” for over a dozen U.S. service members’ deaths, threatening to escalate a conflict that has become increasingly unpopular and expensive ahead of the midterms.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has also escalated in recent days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Philippines earlier this week.

“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept,” Rubio told reporters at the gathering. “We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”