WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that no concrete outcome emerged from his closed-door meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but stressed that he pushed for continued negotiations with Iran.
“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 his Truth Social platform after meeting Netanyahu for about two-and-a-half hours.
“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,” he added.
Trump was referring to US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities that he authorized last June. The United States and Iran held talks in Oman last Friday — their first since those attacks — and are expected to meet again at a date yet to be determined.
The latest round of diplomacy marked the end of an approximately eight-month suspension in direct engagement.
Trump described the initial talks in Muscat as “very good,” saying Tehran had shown a strong desire to reach a new agreement and that both sides planned to meet again next week.
Iran, however, accused the United States and Israel of fabricating pretexts for military intervention and regime change. Tehran warned it would respond to any military attack, even if limited, and reiterated that lifting Western economic sanctions must accompany any restrictions on its nuclear programme.
Uranium enrichment remains a central sticking point. Washington is demanding that Iran halt enrichment activities and transfer its highly enriched uranium stockpile abroad.
The United States has also sought to expand negotiations to include Iran’s missile programme and its support for armed groups across the region, but Tehran has repeatedly said it will not negotiate beyond its nuclear file.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have intensified amid a US military buildup in the Gulf and repeated warnings of possible military action from Trump.
Before departing for the United States, Netanyahu said he would present Israel’s vision for negotiations with Iran during his meeting with Trump.
“I will present to the president our vision for the principles of the negotiations,” Netanyahu said.
In his Truth Social post, Trump added that the leaders also discussed “the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the region in general.”
The meeting was the seventh between Trump and Netanyahu since the start of the US president’s second term early last year. Five of the meetings took place in the United States and one in Israel.
Netanyahu had initially planned to visit Washington on Feb. 18 but moved the trip forward by a week in an effort to influence the ongoing US-Iran negotiations, Israeli media said.
