Trump’s Name Could Adorn Tel Aviv Hotel, Becoming a Symbol or a Target

On the first night that Iran sent missiles whistling across Tel Aviv, one struck deep in a trendy neighborhood that is home to the Israel Defense Forces headquarters, two luxury shopping malls — and a soaring hotel that has caught the eye of President Trump’s family.

Iran’s counterstrikes on June 13, in retaliation for Israel’s assault on its nuclear program, littered the city’s Sarona neighborhood with smoke and ballistic debris. It also broadcast the complexities that the Trump family business faces as it continues its international deal-making.

This spring, Eric Trump, the president’s son who runs the Trump Organization, discussed a potential partnership with the owners of the Sarona district hotel now under construction, according to people involved in the talks and records reviewed by The New York Times. The possible deal would likely allow the Trumps to manage the property — a rising tower of twisting glass and steel that will become Tel Aviv’s tallest hotel once it opens — and affix their name to the city’s skyline.

The talks were preliminary and occurred weeks before the Iranian missile landed just steps from the hotel. Even after Mr. Trump announced a cease-fire, it is possible that his family business will steer clear of Tel Aviv while the region remains on edge.

“Israel has always been a market we would love to explore, but we have no plans at this time and any discussions have been strictly preliminary,” Eric Trump said in a statement.

Still, in a virtual meeting with Israeli real estate executives in April, he opined that the building had the feel of a Trump property and would benefit from adding floors of high-value residential units on top of the hotel, said one of the people involved, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the negotiations. Mr. Trump, the second of the president’s three sons, also stressed that he planned to sign at least one deal in Israel by the end of the year.