The funeral for US Senator Lindsey Graham has begun in Washington, with President Donald Trump in attendance – you can watch it live above
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are also paying their respects to Graham, who was a major supporter of both countries in their respective conflicts
Earlier, both leaders held separate behind-closed-door meetings with Trump, which the White House described as "positive and productive"
Zelensky says he discussed Patriot interceptor missiles with the US president, and Netanyahu indicated he would talk to him about Iran
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others are attending the funeral at the Washington National Cathedral today.
You can watch the service above.
Image source, Getty ImagesPresident Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at Graham's funeral
Image source, Getty Images
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesMany of Trump’s cabinet secretaries are beginning to take their seats here in the Cathedral, as a brass ensemble plays a piece by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio just arrived, along with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, have been here a while.
They all have prominent seats in the nave, just ahead of many of Graham’s Senate colleagues.
The National Cathedral hosts many of America’s most prominent funeral services and memorial events. Former President George W Bush spoke here after the 9/11 attacks.
This is a somewhat more intimate affair than the services that follow the death of a president, where the massive building is packed to capacity – most recently for Jimmy Carter’s memorial early last year. But the range of attendees – foreign leaders, legislators and Donald Trump and his top advisers- reflects Lindsey Graham’s influence in the nation’s capital.
Image source, ReutersIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials attend Graham's funeral
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are now both in attendance at Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral which begins shortly.
Image source, Getty ImagesNetanyahu is pictured at the funeral with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
Grace Eliza Goodwin
US reporter
All US senators have also been invited to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this evening, around the same time they are set to vote on a bill to ratched up santions on Russia.
The meeting will be hosted by members of both parties who lead on foreign policy and the military - the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, and Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen.
The late Senator Lindsey Graham introduced the legislation in April, and Zelensky is also attending Graham's funeral today.
The bill, which has bipartisan support and over 60 cosponsors, would impose harsher sanctions on Russia and extend some sanctions on Iran.
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Image source, Anthony Zurcher / BBCI’m currently in the press section on a balcony in the Washington National Cathedral, off to the left side of the altar.
Although we are still an hour away from the start of Lindsey Graham's memorial service, one VIP has already arrived.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fresh off his morning meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, is currently engaged in conversation with a group near where members of Congress typically sit for services like this one.
Zelensky will have more time to chat with lawmakers, as he’s scheduled to visit Capitol Hill later today.
The Israeli Prime Minister is seen departing the White House moments ago, following his meeting with Trump.
We hope to hear from either leader soon about how the meeting went.
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPAAs Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington, his country is carrying out strikes in Gaza.
Over the weekend, an Israeli air strike killed two Hamas security officials in Gaza, medics and officials said.
The strike killed Colonel Wael Musa al-Ladawi, a senior officer, and Major Ramez Tawfiq Abu Zureiq on Sunday in the city of Deir al-Balah, according to Reuters.
Last week, at least 12 Palestinians, including six members of one family, were killed in three separate Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local medics.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter
Netanyahu's visit to Washington comes at a time in which disparate wings of the Republican party are visibly split over the US relationship with Israel.
On one hand are Republicans - such as the late Senator Lindsey Graham - who remain ironclad supporters of Israel and advocates of US military assistance to the country, continuing a longstanding US commitment to Israel's security.
On the other are those within Trump's Maga base who have grown notably exasperated with the longtime ally, mostly over Iran. They see Israel as helping propel the US into a largely unpopular war. The head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent - something of a darling in the Maga movement - resigned from his post over his belief that Israel and its lobby in the United States helped push Trump to launch military strikes.
There's also another divide the party must contend with - this one along a generational fault line. Polling data released by Pew earlier this year found older Republicans were still broadly in favour of Israel, while 57% of Republicans between the ages of 18 and 49 had an unfavourable view of the country.
Trump has now ended his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after earlier meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
"President Trump has concluded his meetings in the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Netanyahu," she just posted on X.
"Both meetings were positive and productive!"
Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deep relationships across Washington, as a result of his nearly two-decade tenure in power. He is also a shrewd observer of US domestic politics, and has a long track record of building support with American lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.
But Netanyahu has arrived in Washington a less popular figure than he’s been in the past. While the Israeli leader is still well-liked by most Republicans, recent war powers resolution votes in Congress suggest support for his country is slightly down on the margins within the party.
Among Democrats, there’s no question Netanyahu is less popular today than at any point in recent memory. A growing number of Democrats - more than 100, in the most recent vote - have backed a measure to cut US military aid to Israel.
That vote sent a clear sign to Netanyahu that he can no longer count on broad support from the Democratic Party. So did a public effort by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to explore the possibility of executing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu later this year.
Soon after Prime Minister Netanyahu arrived at the White House, photos were released showing him sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office.
There are also photos of Netanyahu shaking hands with Secretary of State Marco Rubio (with Defence Secretary Hegseth in the background) and of the two world leaders participating in a meeting with advisers in the Oval Office.
Image source, X/Prime Minister of Israel
Image source, X/Prime Minister of Israel
Image source, X/Prime Minister of IsraelThere's a lot going on in Washington today. Here's the latest:
Image source, Getty ImagesAn overhead view of the tribute at the US Capitol
Image source, ReutersNetanyahu's visit to the White House has drawn protests outside.
A few dozen people could be seen marching and chanting on Tuesday morning. They were waving signs and some held Palestinian flags, while others banged on drums.
Overall, it was a more muted demonstration than past protests when Netanyahu has visited.
Why Netanyahu's visit with Trump at the White House is high stakes
Image source, Zelensky/TelegramThe first lines from Zelensky's closed-door meeting with Trump are beginning to emerge, coming from a Telegram post by the Ukranian leader.
He said he had a good meeting with Trump and that the two discussed the importance of protecting Ukrainians and how the US can help the Ukraine with missile-defence systems.
"The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help," he said.
Zelensky said there would be further communication and expressed his gratitude for "firm support" from the US.
Image source, Zelensky/TelegramDuring the same call with Fox News this morning, Trump hailed the late Senator Lindsey Graham, one of his staunchest allies and defenders.
He says the two "started a little bit rough" but then became closer over time. Graham was critical of Trump before his first term in 2016 - when Graham also ran for president - and after the 6 January riots, but was very supportive of Trump in recent years.
"He was a great politician and a great gentleman," Trump told Fox. “It really ended up being a great friendship. And it's it's very hard. He's like, he really became like a member of the family in a sense."
He will be speaking at the funeral later today.
Earlier this morning, President Trump told Fox News that the US and Iran had had "very good" discussions.
But he also said the US would destroy Iranian bridges and power plants if the country did not reach an agreement with the US.
“If they don’t make a deal, then I go back and I finish the job," he told Fox. "But that’s going to take them forever to rebuild. Already, it’ll take them many years to ever to rebuild."
Trump also insisted that the US has control over the Strait of Hormuz, which has mostly been blocked by Iran since the start of the war.
"Only ships that we want to get through get through," Trump said.
The standoff will no doubt come up during discussions Trump is having now with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
Gidi Kleiman
Reporting from Jerusalem
Before his arrival at the White House, as he prepared to leave Israel on Monday aboard the official Wings of Zion plane, Netanyahu said in a video statement in Hebrew that he “will discuss all current issues with President Trump, foremost among them being Iran”.
Their last meeting was in February before Israel and the US launched an unprecedented joint attack on Iran. Netanyahu has been campaigning for decades against Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he repeatedly said would pose an existential threat to Israel. But the war has not been concluded and Iran has not been forced to concede its nuclear programme.
In the White House meeting, he is expected to reportedly speak with Trump about intelligence that Iran has renewed its efforts to produce a nuclear weapon, and is doing so at an accelerated pace.
Strategically, a successful visit could lay a path to removing that threat by whatever means possible.
Politically, a successful visit could reinforce Netanyahu's image as Israel’s key international statesman who is aligned with the world’s most powerful leader, ahead of challenging general elections in Israel which are scheduled for the end of October.
In his pre-boarding statement on Monday with his wife Sara by his side in a military base in southern Israel, Netanyahu reminded the Israeli public that this would be his eighth meeting with Trump since he was re-elected for his second term which he stressed was “more than any other international leader”.
Photographers outside the White House have just captured images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival.
He is scheduled to meet with Trump and then attend Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesWe are getting word now that Zelensky has left the White House, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived.
Netanyhu is huddling with Trump before all three leaders head to the funeral of Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham.
