Trump says he ‘insisted’ to Netanyahu that US talks with Iran continue
The visit to Washington was Mr Netanyahu’s seventh during the US president’s second term.
Donald Trump has met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu privately and said he insisted that negotiations with Iran continue as the US pushes for a nuclear deal with Tehran.
Mr Netanyahu spent nearly three hours at the White House, but entered and left out of view of reporters and he and the US president did not take questions.
In a subsequent post on his social media site, Mr Trump called it “a very good meeting” and said “there was nothing definitive reached, other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated”.
“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.”
He added “Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal” and were hit by US air strikes.
“Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli PM revealed they had discussed negotiations with Iran as well as developments in Gaza and around the region and that the pair had “agreed to continue their close co-ordination and relationship”.
Wednesday’s meeting was their seventh during Mr Trump’s second term and took place as both the US and Iran are projecting cautious optimism after holding indirect talks in Oman on Friday about how, once again, to approach negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Mr Trump said after reaching an agreement with Iran on Tuesday: “I think they’d be foolish if they didn’t. We took out their nuclear power last time, and we’ll have to see if we take out more this time.
“It’s got to be a good deal. No nuclear weapons, no missiles.”
Mr Netanyahu’s office said before the meeting that he wants the US-Iran talks to include limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and support for militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
“I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” he said on Tuesday.
It remains unclear how much influence Mr Netanyahu will have over Mr Trump’s approach towards Iran. The US leader initially threatened to take military action over Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide protests in January, then shifted to a pressure campaign in recent weeks to try to get iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme.
Iran is still reeling from the 12-day war with Israel in June. The devastating series of air strikes, including the US bombing several Iranian nuclear sites, killed nearly 1,000 people in Iran and almost 40 in Israel.
Mr Trump has said repeatedly that US strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, though the amount of damage remains unclear. Satellite photos of nuclear sites have recently captured activity, prompting concern that Tehran could be attempting to salvage or assess damage at the sites.
Israel has long called for Iran to cease all uranium enrichment, dial back its ballistic missile programme and cut ties to militant groups across the region. Iran has always rejected those demands, saying it would only accept some limits on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
Washington has built up military forces in the region, sending an aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers, air defence assets and more to supplement its presence.
Arab and Islamic countries, including Turkey and Qatar, have been urging both sides to show restraint, warning that any strike or retaliation could have destabilising consequences for a region already strained by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
In his post, Mr Trump said he and Mr Netanyahu had “also discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the Region in general”.
He plans to hold the first meeting next week of his Board of Peace, which was initially framed to oversee future steps of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan but has taken shape with his ambitions of resolving other global crises.
