United States President Donald Trump has concluded a White Home assembly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that “nothing definitive” had been reached throughout their change.
However he added that US talks with Iran would proceed, as he pushes for Tehran to concede to an inventory of calls for.
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“It was an excellent assembly, the large relationship between our two International locations continues,” Trump stated of Israel.
“There was nothing definitive reached aside from I insisted that negotiations with Iran proceed to see whether or not or not a Deal will be consummated.”
Wednesday’s assembly was Trump’s sixth time internet hosting Netanyahu within the US because the begin of his second time period. They’ve met a complete of seven occasions — together with as soon as in Israel — since January 2025.
The newest go to got here simply days after US and Iranian officers held oblique talks in Oman geared toward diverting a navy confrontation that would spill into the broader Center East area.
Whereas Arab leaders have largely advocated for deescalation, Netanyahu has repeatedly known as for additional navy motion towards Iran.
A non-public assembly
Netanyahu’s newest go to occurred behind closed doorways. After their go to was over, Trump posted on his Fact Social account that it had been a “large assembly”. He additionally wrote that he had hope a deal might be struck with Iran.
“If it could actually, I let the Prime Minister know that will probably be a choice,” Trump stated. “If it can not, we are going to simply should see what the end result will probably be.”
Trump beforehand sided with Israel in a 12-day struggle towards Iran final June. The battle culminated with US strikes on three Iranian nuclear websites, in a navy operation dubbed “Midnight Hammer”.
In Wednesday’s submit, the US president appeared to threaten additional navy motion towards Iran, declaring that June’s assault got here after talks on Iran’s nuclear programme did not make progress.
“Final time Iran determined that they had been higher off not making a Deal, they usually had been hit with Midnight Hammer,” Trump wrote. “That didn’t work properly for them. Hopefully this time they are going to be extra affordable and accountable.”
Netanyahu’s workplace, in the meantime, provided few particulars, saying solely that the pair mentioned Israel’s “safety wants” and agreed to “continued coordination and shut ties”.
Among the many matters mentioned had been “negotiations with Iran, Gaza and regional developments”, the assertion stated.
Iran says ballistic missile ‘non-negotiable’
Trump has signalled optimism within the wake of Friday’s talks in Oman, which included US envoy Steve Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The gathering got here after the US surged navy property to the area, elevating the prospect of a navy entanglement.
Since January, Trump has pledged to strike Iran if the nation’s safety brokers kill protesters concerned in current antigovernment demonstrations.
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in flip, warned of a “regional struggle” within the occasion of a US assault.
Regional powers throughout the Center East have pushed for a diplomatic resolution to keep away from a navy conflict.
The Trump administration, in the meantime, has not been clear on the scope of its talks with Iran.
Nevertheless, officers have informed US media shops that the current negotiations hinge on three major calls for: ending Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, curbing its ballistic programme and slicing its assist for regional proxies, a objective lengthy held by Netanyahu as properly.
The US had beforehand entered into an settlement to reduce Iran’s nuclear programme in 2015.
That multilateral deal, often called the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA), provided Iran sanctions aid. The UK, France, China, Russia, Germany and the European Union had been all contributors.
However in 2018, throughout his first time period, Trump withdrew from the JCPOA. Ever since, he has unsuccessfully pursued a brand new settlement whereas re-imposing “most stress” sanctions on Iran.
Iranian officers have signalled they’re open to reaching a brand new deal on their nuclear programme, which they’ve maintained is just for civilian functions. However they preserve their ballistic missile capabilities ought to stay off limits.
“The Islamic Republic’s missile capabilities are non-negotiable,” Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Khamenei, was quoted by state media as saying on Wednesday.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, in the meantime, stated that his nation was able to show the peaceable nature of its nuclear programme however would “not yield to extreme calls for”.
Netanyahu brings ‘maximalist calls for’
Chatting with Al Jazeera, Barbara Slavin, a fellow on the US-based Stimson Heart suppose tank, stated Netanyahu introduced “maximalist calls for” to his White Home assembly.
“He considers Iran to be a mortal risk to Israel. He desires it weakened in any potential method. He would like to see regime change,” Slavin informed Al Jazeera.
“But when he can’t have that, he want to make it possible for Iran has no nuclear programme by any means and that it has no missiles that would strike Israel.”
She added that the Israeli prime minister “clearly was frightened, particularly as a result of Donald Trump stated some somewhat optimistic issues after the talks in Oman”.
Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh additionally pointed to the prospect of early elections in Israel, which could additional incentivise Netanyahu to push Trump to take a tough line.
“Toppling the federal government in Iran would make him the king of all kings, so far as Israeli coverage is worried, and that’s one thing he can take to the poll and win with,” Odeh stated.
“Netanyahu now must persuade Trump {that a} deal isn’t one thing that can yield outcomes and that Iran can’t be trusted.”
Nonetheless, Odeh defined that Netanyahu should even be ready for the chance that the US-Iran negotiations will succeed.
“If a deal is reached, he must make it possible for that is as much as par with what Israel can reside with,” Odeh defined. “He desires Iran to be completely disabled, and that, in impact, is a system to make sure that Israel continues to be the hegemon within the area.”
Highlighting Gaza
In his submit on Fact Social, Trump stated he and Netanyahu additionally mentioned the “large progress being made in Gaza, and the Area on the whole”.
Since October 2023, Israel has led a genocidal struggle in Gaza that has killed an estimated 72,045 Palestinians and wounded 171,686.
However final 12 months, the Trump administration advocated for a 20-point Gaza “ceasefire” plan that was adopted in October.
It has since introduced in January that the plan was getting into “part two”, though main questions persist, together with over the disarmament of Hamas.
In the meantime, Israeli assaults have continued. On Wednesday, a Palestinian little one was wounded by Israeli gunfire within the Batn as-Sameen space, south of Khan Younis, based on the Wafa information company.
Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling additionally focused areas underneath Israeli navy management east of the town, Al Jazeera’s staff in Gaza reported.
For the reason that first part of the ceasefire settlement got here into impact in October, 591 Palestinians have been killed and 1,578 injured, based on the Gaza Ministry of Well being.
Additionally on Wednesday, Netanyahu signed a doc establishing Israel’s membership in Trump’s controversial Board of Peace throughout a gathering with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The board was initially designed to oversee Gaza’s ceasefire, however Trump has since pushed it to tackle a wider position in resolving international conflicts. Some critics have accused the US president of looking for to create an alternative choice to the United Nations.
Netanyahu, who will maintain a seat on the multinational board, at the moment faces an arrest warrant from the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) over alleged struggle crimes within the Palestinian territory.
