Trump and Netanyahu Hold Three-Hour White House Talk
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump at the White House on Thursday for a three hour meeting, his fifth visit to Washington since Trump began his second term.
No joint press conference followed the meeting.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said “nothing definitive” was agreed to during the talks, “other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.”
Before heading back to Israel, Netanyahu said he conveyed “general skepticism about the nature of any agreement with Iran,” adding that any deal “must include the elements that are very important to us – to Israel.”
“It’s not just the nuclear issue, but also the ballistic missiles and the Iranian proxies in the region,” Netanyahu said.
The meeting comes amid ongoing disagreements over Iran policy. Israeli officials have pressed for U.S. military action targeting Iran’s ballistic missile program, while Trump has publicly maintained that a diplomatic agreement focused on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains possible.
Ahead of the Oval Office meeting, Netanyahu met at Blair House with the senior White House advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who, according to the prime minister’s office, provided “an update on the first round of talks they held with Iran last Friday.” Netanyahu also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and signed onto Trump’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza.
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Trump also confirmed on Thursday that a second aircraft carrier strike group is being prepared for possible deployment to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region, while the USS George H.W. Bush would be deployed, according to U.S. officials who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.
The State Department recently approved $6.5 billion in assistance to Israel, in addition to an $8.6 billion package for new F-15 fighter jets approved last month. Both come on top of the $3.8 billion in annual security assistance guaranteed under the 10-year MOU between Israel and the U.S.
