First Move  ·  Statecraft  · 
From the capitals — Friday morning, 10 July

US President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu Discuss Gulf Actions, Turkish Remarks in Phone Call

The leaders affirmed continued coordination as regional tensions persist, with US-Iran talks scheduled to resume tomorrow.

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The conversation that mattered

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in a phone call on Thursday, July 9, agreeing to maintain coordination "on various fronts." During the call, President Trump briefed Prime Minister Netanyahu on recent U.S. actions in the Persian Gulf.

Netanyahu, in turn, raised concerns regarding the "severity" of remarks made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his aides concerning Israel. The discussion signals ongoing efforts to manage regional security dynamics amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, and Israel's broader security concerns. Diplomatic efforts are set to continue with the next round of U.S.-Iran negotiations scheduled to begin tomorrow, July 11, in Pakistan.

Today's meetings

U.S. President Donald Trump

Actor Two: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Venue Or Format: Phone call

What Was Discussed: Agreed to continue coordination on various fronts; Trump briefed on U.S. actions in the Gulf; Netanyahu raised concerns about Turkish President Erdogan's remarks.

Signal: Highlights ongoing U.S.-Israel alignment on regional security and shared concerns over Turkish rhetoric.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Actor Two: U.S. President Donald Trump

Venue Or Format: NATO Summit, Ankara (bilateral meeting)

What Was Discussed: Trump agreed to grant Ukraine licenses for domestic production of Patriot interceptor missiles.

Signal: Marks a significant step in bolstering Ukraine's long-term air defense capabilities with U.S. technological support.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz

Actor Two: U.S. officials

Venue Or Format: Sidelines of NATO meeting, Ankara

What Was Discussed: Germany sealed a deal to purchase American Tomahawk missiles.

Signal: Reinforces transatlantic defense cooperation and addresses Germany's strategic defense gaps.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Actor Two: Slovak President Peter Pellegrini

Venue Or Format: Sidelines of 36th NATO Summit, Ankara

What Was Discussed: Discussed bilateral trade goals, regional security, and strengthening cooperation in transport and energy.

Signal: Underscores efforts to deepen economic and security ties within NATO, particularly with European partners.

Iran

Actor Two: Saudi Arabia

Venue Or Format: High-level diplomatic calls

What Was Discussed: Resumption of high-level diplomatic engagement, with Pakistan's mediation in U.S. talks.

Signal: Indicates a cautious re-opening of communication channels in the Gulf region.

Joint statements + readouts

NATO Allies

Topic: Ukraine Support and Defense Spending

Key Line: For 2026, Allies pledge €70 billion in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine and affirm their sovereign commitments to sustaining at least equivalent levels in 2027.

China (on behalf of 67 countries)

Topic: AI for Accessibility

Key Line: China delivered a joint statement on AI for accessibility on behalf of 67 countries, advocating digital technology for good and for all and bridging the global digital divide.

China (on behalf of a group of nearly 20 countries)

Topic: Tariff Abuses and Global Supply Chains

Key Line: In another joint statement on behalf of a group of nearly 20 countries, China opposed tariff abuses by certain countries and called for efforts to keep global industrial and supply chains stable and uphold the global economic and trade order.

Multilateral pulse

36th NATO Summit (Ankara). The summit concluded with leaders reaffirming commitment to collective defense and pledging €70 billion for Ukraine's military assistance in 2026, with sustained levels for 2027.

Bilateral threads worth following

US ↔ Iran

Current State: Tensions are high with recent US strikes and upcoming diplomatic talks.

Last Move: US struck a strategic railway bridge in northern Iran on July 10.

Ukraine ↔ US

Current State: Deepening defense cooperation, particularly on advanced missile systems.

Last Move: US President Trump approved licenses for Ukraine to domestically produce Patriot interceptor missiles on July 10.

Germany ↔ US

Current State: Strengthening defense procurement and transatlantic security.

Last Move: Germany announced a deal to purchase American Tomahawk missiles on July 10.

Iran ↔ Saudi Arabia

Current State: High-level diplomatic channels are cautiously reopening.

Last Move: Both nations resumed high-level diplomatic calls on July 10, with Pakistan mediating.

Turkey ↔ Iraq

Current State: Working towards a new agreement on energy infrastructure.

Last Move: An agreement to maintain crude oil flow through the Iraq-Türkiye Crude Oil Pipeline is expected to be signed in the coming days, reported July 10.

What we'll be watching next 72h

Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.