Rubio and Netanyahu spoke by phone on Saturday, US official says
While the American official did not touch on the topics discussed in the meeting, Axios had previously reported that the two talked about the protests in Gaza, Syria and Iran.
Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel last year and whose nuclear facilities were bombed by the USA in June, is the scene of the largest anti-government demonstrations in recent years. A fragile ceasefire in Gaza has failed to progress beyond its initial phase since it began in October, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of grossly violating the deal. The two sides remain distant on the tougher steps envisaged for the next phase.
Earlier this week, Israel and Syria agreed to establish a communication mechanism to coordinate on security and trade issues during US-brokered talks in Paris.
Since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, Netanyahu has visited the US five times to meet with the Republican president, while Trump visited Israel in October.
