Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump as the White House confirmed plans for follow-up discussions with Iran following recent talks in Oman, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
The upcoming meeting will focus on the ongoing U.S. Negotiations with Iran, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Monday. Netanyahu will advocate for stricter limitations on Iran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for regional groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
This will be the seventh meeting between Trump and Netanyahu since the U.S. President returned to office last year. Analysts suggest Netanyahu will likely press Trump to prioritize curbing Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, a point considered a red line by Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has consistently stated that talks will remain centered on the nuclear issue, asserting that Iran’s missile program is “non-negotiable.”
On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian characterized the indirect talks held in Oman on Friday as “a step forward” and indicated his administration’s preference for continued dialogue.
“Our reasoning on the nuclear issue is based on rights stipulated in the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X on Sunday. “The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but cannot withstand the language of force.”
Iranian officials have expressed a willingness to engage in negotiations focused solely on the nuclear issue, while simultaneously rejecting what they perceive as an excessive U.S. Military buildup in the region.
While both Israel and the United States share a critical stance towards Iran, Israel has adopted a more uncompromising position regarding the negotiations, which Trump has said will resume this week.
The U.S. President described the last round of talks in Oman on Friday as “very good,” adding that Iran “looks like it wants to make a deal very badly.”
“If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep,” Trump added.
‘A Long Way to Build Trust’
The U.S.-Iran talks follow weeks of heightened tensions, with Trump threatening military action if Iran did not reach an agreement. He increased pressure by deploying an aircraft carrier and accompanying warships to the Middle East.
Concerns are growing among world powers and regional states that a breakdown in negotiations could escalate conflict across the oil-producing region.
Araghchi described the talks with the U.S. As “a good start”, but cautioned that “there is a long way to go to build trust.”
Trita Parsi, cofounder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a foreign policy think tank, suggested the outcome of the U.S.’s talks with Iran could depend on whether Washington prioritizes its nuclear demands, which he characterized as “absolutely achievable,” or adopts Israel’s more maximalist stance.
“If we see a continuation of the pursuit of Israeli red lines, I presume that those talks will collapse very shortly,” Parsi told Al Jazeera.
