President Donald Trump “insisted” that negotiations with Iran continue after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday but refused to rule out a military strike.
The talks between Trump and Netanyahu at the White House lasted approximately two-and-a-half hours and focused on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be. 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. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible.”
The talks over Iran come just weeks after protests rocked the country amid widespread inflation and economic instability and threatened to destabilize the regime. The Iranian government killed thousands of protesters, according to human rights groups, prompting Trump to threaten military strikes.
At the time, U.S. allies, including Israel, dissuaded Trump from a full-scale attack, fearing regional chaos.
Tensions appeared to have cooled since, with the U.S. and Iran holding indirect talks on Friday in Oman over Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump described the discussions as “very good.”
Netanyahu and Trump also discussed Gaza, according to Trump’s post, but the president did not provide details.
The “deal” Trump referred to is likely a combination of guarantees that Iran’s nuclear program will not return, agreements about reducing the presence of ballistic missiles, limits on Iran’s sponsor of groups like the Houthis and Hezbollah and the killing of civilians, said Jonathan Schanzer, Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ executive director.
The president has been less keen, at least publicly, about immediately striking Iran in his latest statements, after sending an “armada” to the region last month. But he told Axios on Tuesday that he may send “another” aircraft carrier strike group if the ongoing talks fail.
“I'd rather make a deal. It's got to be a good deal. No nuclear weapons, no missiles, no this, no that,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow on Tuesday.
For Netanyahu, who has now met with Trump seven times in the president’s second term, the stakes are high, Schanzer said.
“The order of priorities here is clear, the Iran issue, especially with the window open right now for a kinetic strike on the regime,” Schanzer said. “The president's threatening the Islamic Republic. This is a huge moment for the region, and Netanyahu knows it.”
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