Netanyahu meets Trump as Israel seeks to shape Iran talks

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump on Wednesday in an effort to steer US negotiations over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. 

The hastily organized visit is Netanyahu’s seventh to the United States since Trump’s reelection. It comes less than a week after officials from Tehran and Washington held talks in Oman over a potential deal to avert Trump’s threatened strikes. Little progress has been made, with Iran insisting the talks be confined to its nuclear program. 

Ahead of the Oval Office meeting, Netanyahu and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Wednesday morning at Blair House, the president’s official guest residence across from the White House. The main US negotiators in the Iran talks — special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner — convened with Netanyahu at Blair House on Tuesday evening. 

Israel worries that the Trump administration may strike a limited deal focused only on Iran’s nuclear program, ignoring its ballistic missile arsenal and support for regional proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. 

“I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said on the tarmac in Tel Aviv before departing.

Hours before Netanyahu’s scheduled meeting with Trump, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that a series of tests of its David’s Sling air defense system had been carried out in coordination with the US Missile Defense Agency. Developed jointly by Israel and the United States, David’s Sling was used to intercept Iranian missiles during the 12-day war in June.

The United States joined Israel’s bombing campaign with strikes that heavily damaged three Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has since barred international inspectors from accessing its stockpile of heavily enriched uranium or visiting the bombed sites. 

The United States has amassed military forces in the region to bolster Trump’s options should he carry out previous threats to strike Iran over its nuclear program and killing of anti-government protesters last month. His Gulf allies have warned against strikes, concerned that Iranian retaliation over an American attack could draw in their countries and set off a wider war.

Another round of US-Iran talks is expected this month. Speaking to reporters in Azerbaijan Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance warned there is "another option on the table" if Iran and the United States fail to reach a deal. 

Asked about regime change, Vance said, “If the Iranian people want to overthrow the regime, that's up to the Iranian people. What we're focused on right now is the fact that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon.”

Netanyahu told reporters he will also discuss the Gaza Strip, where a newly minted Trump-led Board of Peace and technocratic Palestinian committee are tackling the thorny issues of disarming Hamas and ensuring Israel's eventual withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave. During his meeting with Rubio, Netanyahu formally signed onto the board, which is expected to convene on Feb. 19 in Washington.

This developing story has been updated since initial publication.

Rina Bassist contributed reporting.