Trump Defends Iran Diplomacy After Netanyahu Presents Considerations

[ad_1] President Donald Trump has expressed his want to remain on his diplomatic observe with Iran following a gathering with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived in a last-minute journey to Washington in a bid to press for extra stringent circumstances on any take care of Tehran.

Describing "an excellent assembly" with the Israeli premier over the course of three hours on Wednesday, Trump stated "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."

"If it could possibly, I let the Prime Minister know that will likely be a choice. If it can't, we'll simply need to see what the result will likely be," the U.S. chief added, noting that the U.S. strikes he ordered towards three Iranian nuclear amenities following the 12-Day Warfare launched by Israel within the midst of the earlier talks between Washington and Tehran final June.

Trump has not but publicly addressed Netanyahu's prior speak of outlining "ideas" for U.S.-Iran negotiations, which the Israeli premier's workplace stated forward of the assembly "should embrace limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of the assist for the Iranian axis."

Following the assembly, the Israeli Prime Minister's Workplace stated Netanyahu "emphasised the safety wants of the State of Israel within the context of the negotiations, and the 2 leaders agreed on continued coordination and the shut bond between them."

However an absence of U.S. ensures might solely heighten Israeli issues that reportedly fueled Netanyahu's determination to maneuver up the go to that was initially scheduled for subsequent week.

"I believe there's a hole between the U.S. and Israel, and because of this Prime Minister Netanyahu rushed to Washington," Yoel Guzansky, senior researcher on the Institute for Nationwide Safety Research who beforehand served on Israel’s Nationwide Safety Council official and as adviser to a number of premiers, informed Newsweek. "Reportedly, he requested for the assembly as a result of he has issues concerning the U.S. place within the negotiation."

<img id="11507405" alt="" caption="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the start of their meeting at the White House, on February 11, 2026, in Washington, D.C." captionoverride="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the start of their meeting at the White House on February 11, 2026, in Washington." src="Avi Ohayon/Israeli Government Press Office" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="1600" height="1066" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HA5L75RXEAA_7UO.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HA5L75RXEAA_7UO.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HA5L75RXEAA_7UO.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HA5L75RXEAA_7UO.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HA5L75RXEAA_7UO.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HA5L75RXEAA_7UO.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HA5L75RXEAA_7UO.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> 'A Downside Israel Can not Reside With' Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with navy intervention for the reason that nation was rocked by protests that devolved final month into the deadliest clashes within the historical past of the Islamic Republic. Authorities estimates place the loss of life toll at about 3,117 individuals, together with greater than 500 safety personnel, whereas overseas human rights displays place the entire determine of these killed far increased, some as excessive as 10 occasions the official quantity.

However since Trump declared that "assistance is on the way in which," he has additionally utilized an U.S. navy build-up within the Center East, together with the arrival of the usAbraham Lincoln provider strike group, to push for renewed talks relating to Iran's nuclear program. Whereas Tehran has at all times maintained that its program was solely for peaceable functions, it has ramped up uranium enrichment and different actions as soon as restricted by the 2015 nuclear deal, generally known as the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA), that Trump deserted throughout his first time period.

Even a stronger settlement in an identical fashion to the JCPOA, which dealt solely with proscribing Iran's nuclear program in change for sanctions aid, won't be sufficient for Netanyahu.

"The U.S. could be prepared to compromise and focus solely on the nuclear, that means a brand new JCPOA, perhaps even higher than the JCPOA," Guzansky stated. "Trump can promote it and say, 'Oh, we acquired a greater one,' however will probably be a foul deal for Israel, as a result of Iran is just not enriching anymore, Israel has crippled Iran, along with the U.S., again in June on the nuclear concern."

"The issue is that since then, and even earlier than then, Iran developed a strategic missile functionality that Israel see as a strategic downside, not existential, however very harmful to Israel, as a result of these are hundreds of missile ballistic missiles with huge warheads, and now greater than ever correct," he added. "So, for Israel, it is a downside not as acute because the nuclear however an issue that Israel can't reside with."

A 'Higher Center East' Technique Iranian officers, in the meantime, have expressed their very own concern with the form of message Netanyahu was anticipated to ship to Trump, simply days after Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi held what he known as a "good begin" in his first spherical of talks with U.S. Particular Envoy for the Center East Steve Witkoff final weekend in Oman.

Throughout a press convention on the eve of the assembly Tuesday, Iranian International Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei informed reporters that "one of many issues of American overseas coverage in West Asia is its compliance with and adherence to Israel’s calls for, which has been the primary reason for insecurity and safety issues in our area for the previous eight many years."

"The basis of turning Iran’s nuclear program into a man-made disaster was the Zionist regime, which has been repeating the proposition for about 40 years that Iran is looking for nuclear weapons and instilling a form of concern on the earth," Baghaei stated on the time. "This regime has repeatedly proven itself to be a harmful actor. It's America’s accountability to not let others resolve for America’s overseas coverage."

The next day, hours earlier than the White Home talks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that his nation "won't yield to aggression," nor to "extreme calls for," however would "transfer with all its may on the trail of regional peace and stability, particularly via dialogue with neighboring nations."

Quite a few regional nations, together with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey, have known as for restraint amid U.S.-Iran tensions.

Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian diplomat who served on Iran's nuclear negotiations crew within the mid-2000s and is now a specialist at Princeton College's Program on Science and International Safety, argued that these calls had been rooted in fears that Israel might search to push Trump towards a extra hawkish place on Iran following Israel's strikes on Tehran and its Axis of Resistance allies over the course of two and a half years for the reason that eruption of the battle in Gaza.

“The facility of the Israeli foyer in the USA is way better than that of America’s Arab allies within the area," Mousavian informed Newsweek. "After Israel’s assaults on Gaza, Qatar, Lebanon and Iran over the previous two or three years, it has now develop into clear to all of the nations within the area that after Iran, will probably be their flip. Subsequently, they're attempting to restrain Israel.”

Mousavian noticed such Netanyahu's method as a part of a broader imaginative and prescient to reshape the area in Israel's favor, although he warned that ought to Trump try to oblige this endeavor reasonably than press ahead with diplomacy, each would lose out in the long run.

“Netanyahu’s objective is to understand the 'Higher Center East' technique; due to this fact, he's looking for the entire removing of Iran from the facility equations within the Center East, just like what occurred to Syria, Iraq and Libya," Mousavian added. "Nonetheless, Trump is searching for a deal that he can announce as a historic victory. If Trump chooses the choice of one other battle with Iran, neither Netanyahu’s goal nor Trump’s goal will likely be achieved."

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