Israel’s Netanyahu expected to press Trump over Iran diplomacy

WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM – US President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Feb 11.

Mr Netanyahu is expected to press Mr Trump to widen US talks with Iran to include curbs on Tehran’s missile arsenal and other security threats that go beyond its nuclear programme.

In his seventh meeting with Mr Trump since the president returned to office nearly 13 months ago, Mr Netanyahu will be looking to influence the next round of US discussions with Iran following nuclear negotiations held in Oman on Feb 6, amid heightened Middle East tensions.

Mr Trump has threatened to carry out strikes on Iran if an agreement is not reached, and Tehran has responded with vows to retaliate, fuelling fears of a wider regional war. He has repeatedly voiced support for a secure Israel, long a close US ally in the Middle East and an arch-foe of Iran.

The president repeated his warning in a series of media interviews on Feb 10, saying while he believes Iran wants to make a deal, he would do “something very tough” if they refused. He told Axios he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier strike group as part of a massive buildup of US forces near Iran.

Israel is concerned that the US might pursue a narrow nuclear deal that does not include limitations on Iran’s ballistic missile programme or an end to Iranian support for armed proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, according to people familiar with the matter.

“I will present to the president our perceptions of the principles in the negotiations,” Mr Netanyahu told reporters before departing for the US.

The two men could also discuss potential military action in the event that US-Iran diplomacy fails, according to one of the sources.

After arriving in Washington on the night of Feb 10, Mr Netanyahu met US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Mr Jared Kushner, who led the US team at the Iran talks, according to a post on social media platform X by Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Mr Michael Leiter.

Gaza also on the agenda

Also on the agenda will be Gaza, with Mr Trump looking to push ahead with a ceasefire agreement he helped to broker. Progress on his 20-point plan to end the war and rebuild the shattered Palestinian enclave has stalled with wide gaps remaining over complex steps it envisions, including Hamas disarming as Israeli troops withdraw in phases.

“We continue to work closely with our ally Israel to implement President Trump’s historic Gaza peace agreement and to strengthen regional security,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said when asked about US priorities for the meeting.

Mr Netanyahu’s visit, originally scheduled for Feb 18, was brought forward amid renewed US engagement with Iran. Both sides at last week’s Oman meeting said it was positive and further talks were expected soon.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week, ahead of the Oman meeting, that the talks would have to include the range of Iran’s missiles, its support for proxy groups and its treatment of its own people.

Iran, which has ruled out restrictions on its missiles, said the discussions on Feb 6 had been limited to nuclear issues.

Mr Trump has been vague about broadening the negotiations. He was quoted as telling Axios on Feb 10 that it was a “no-brainer” for any deal to cover Iran’s nuclear programme, but that he also thought it possible to address its missile stockpiles.

Iran says its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, while the U.S. and Israel have accused it of past efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

In June 2025, the US joined Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during a 12-day war.

Israel also heavily damaged Iran’s air defences and missile arsenal. But, according to two Israeli officials, there have been signs of a push to restore those capabilities, which Israel sees as a strategic threat.

Mr Trump had threatened in January to intervene militarily during a bloody crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests in Iran, but ultimately held off.

Israel wary of a weakened Iran rebuilding

Tehran’s regional sway has been weakened by Israel’s attack in June as well as blows to Iranian proxies – from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq – and by the ousting of Iran’s close ally, former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

But Israel has been wary of its foes rebuilding after they suffered heavy losses in the multi-front war sparked by Hamas’ October 2023 cross-border attack on southern Israel.

While Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu have mostly been in sync and the US remains Israel’s main arms supplier, the discussions on Feb 11 have the potential for tensions to surface.

Part of Mr Trump’s Gaza plan holds out the prospect for eventual Palestinian statehood – which Mr Netanyahu and his coalition, the most far-right in Israel’s history, have long resisted.

Mr Netanyahu’s security Cabinet on Feb 8 authorised steps that would make it easier for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting Israel broader powers in what the Palestinians see as the heartland of a future state. The Israeli decision drew international condemnation.

“I am against annexation,” Mr Trump was quoted as telling Axios, reiterating his stance on the issue. “We have enough things to think about now.” REUTERS