WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Washington to discuss negotiations with Iran, Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Saturday.
According to the Reuters, the upcoming meeting will mark the seventh between the two leaders since Trump returned to office in January last year.
The talks, originally scheduled for February 18, were moved up, though Netanyahu’s office has not commented on the reason for the change.
Iranian and US officials held indirect nuclear talks in the Omani capital Muscat on Friday. Both sides indicated that further discussions are expected soon.
A regional diplomat briefed by Tehran said Iran insisted on its “right to enrich uranium” during the negotiations, while its missile capabilities were not discussed.
Iranian officials have consistently ruled out any discussion of the country’s ballistic missile program, which is among the largest in the Middle East, and have demanded recognition of their uranium enrichment rights.
Netanyahu, however, has emphasized that any negotiations must include limitations on Iran’s ballistic missiles and a halt to its support for what he calls the “Iranian axis,” according to a statement from his office.
The US and Israel have repeatedly warned Iran that any continued development of its enrichment and missile programs could prompt military action.
Last June, the US joined an Israeli military campaign targeting Iran’s uranium enrichment and other nuclear installations, marking the most direct American strike against Tehran. In response, Iran launched a missile attack on a US base in Qatar.
World powers and regional states have expressed concern that a breakdown in negotiations could escalate into a wider conflict involving the US and Iran, potentially affecting the broader oil-producing region.
Iran has warned that any strike would elicit a harsh response and cautioned Gulf Arab countries hosting US bases that they could also be targeted if involved.
