US President Donald Trump said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he intended to press ahead on talks with Iran, and that his preference was to reach a deal with the Islamic Republic despite reservations from the visiting leader.
Trump said the pair had a “very good meeting” and that the “tremendous relationship between our two Countries continues,” in a post on social media on Wednesday after his sitdown with Netanyahu.
“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated,” the US president continued. “If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”
While Trump and Netanyahu are normally aligned in their worldview, the US push for a diplomatic deal with Iran has alarmed officials in Israel, particularly after the US president indicated support for seeking a narrow agreement that focused on Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Netanyahu visited Washington in a bid to warn Trump against such a move, instead hoping to press him into endorsing a more sweeping rollback of Iran's military influence in the region, in particular halting support for proxies such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, as well as limitations on its ballistic missile program.
The Israeli prime minister emphasized his country's security needs in the discussion with Trump and the two leaders agreed to continue coordinating closely, according to a readout from Netanyahu's office.
Trump mobilized US warships and fighter jets near Iran in response to Tehran's deadly crackdown on recent mass protests but has pivoted his focus to the country's nuclear capabilities, threatening to attack again if a deal is not struck. He's given mixed messages, though, on what exactly he will accept from Tehran. After the start of talks in Oman last week, Trump said an accord covering only nuclear issues “would be acceptable.”
On Wednesday, Trump noted strikes by Israel and the US on Iran last year, raising the specter that he would attack the Islamic Republic again if talks were not fruitful.
“Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer — That did not work well for them,” Trump wrote on social media. “Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible.”
Israel, aided by the US, bombed uranium enrichment sites and other critical nuclear assets in Iran during a 12-day war in June and has long favored tougher action to deny the Islamic Republic the means to develop atomic weapons. Iran has denied that it is seeking to develop such weapons but following the previous strikes has blocked international inspectors from reviewing stocks of near bomb-grade uranium.
Both the US and Iran said their latest round of discussions were positive, though they have yet to get into many details of any arrangement. Iran has so far insisted that the talks must only focus on the nuclear file. While the country was battered by last year's US and Israeli strikes, it still possesses ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, that can hit targets across the Middle East.
Beyond Iran, Trump said he also discussed with Netanyahu “the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the Region in general.”
The US is trying to parlay a shaky ceasefire into an ambitious peace and reconstruction plan. Trump next week is slated to hold an international conference to raise donations to help rebuild war-ravaged Gaza. The first formal meeting of Trump's Board of Peace is slated for Feb. 19, according to a US official.
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