JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to head to the United States on Tuesday to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House, in a trip seen as aiming to influence the ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran on Iran’s nuclear program.
The visit was initially set for Feb. 18 but was moved up by about a week to allow Netanyahu to weigh in as Washington continues talks with Tehran.
This will be the seventh meeting between Trump and Netanyahu since the start of the US president’s second term early last year. Five of their meetings were held in the US and one in Israel.
Israel wants the Oman-mediated negotiations to go beyond Iran’s nuclear program and include a complete halt to uranium enrichment, restrictions on Tehran’s missile program and an end to its support for regional allies.
However, following the first round of US-Iran talks held Friday in Oman, Israeli officials appear unconvinced that Trump is committed to Israel’s demands, which Tel Aviv conveyed last week to US envoy Steve Witkoff during his visit to Israel.
There is “a state of deep uncertainty in Israel regarding the direction the American president is taking on the Iranian issue,” Maariv newspaper said on Monday.
“So far, no one in Israel knows where President Donald Trump is headed.”
Israel believes “the current opportunity, with Americans mobilizing large forces capable of defeating Iran one way or another, is a once-in-50-years event, perhaps even rarer,” the daily said.
“The biggest concern in Israel right now is that the Americans will start the process but will not complete it,” the paper said. “This scenario is no less troubling than the possibility that the Americans will not start the process at all.”
According Maariv, such an outcome could leave Iran feeling stronger after surviving US and Israeli pressure, enabling Tehran to impose a regional agenda.
Israel has made clear to Washington that it is “prepared for any scenario” and has drawn a red line on Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.
“So far, the Iranians possess about 1,800 missiles and perhaps several dozen launchers, between 60 and 80,” the paper claimed. “Once that number rises significantly, Israel will have to make a decision, and Netanyahu intends to clarify this in Washington.”
“Israel has done this at least twice over the past two years and can do it again,” the paper added. “The ball is now in the White House. The decision lies with the president of the United States. What will he decide? At the moment, no one truly knows.”
- Israeli influence
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said Netanyahu wants the meeting with Trump to “influence the course of the talks underway between the United States and Iran,” amid Israeli concerns that any potential understandings may be limited to the nuclear file alone.
KAN, citing Netanyahu’s office, said “the prime minister believes any negotiations must include restrictions on the ballistic missile program, in addition to halting support for the Iranian axis,” especially with another round of talks approaching early this week.
It said the final composition of the Israeli delegation traveling Tuesday has not yet been determined, with the possible participation of Israeli military officers.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that Netanyahu’s urgent visit aims to pressure Trump “to limit concessions to Iran and avoid prolonged negotiations that could enhance Tehran’s missile and nuclear capabilities.”
“From statements issued by both sides following the preliminary US-Iran talks held in Oman on Friday, it was clear that Iran is showing strong resistance to backing down from its positions,” the paper said. “The United States, meanwhile, appeared willing to make concessions toward a nuclear agreement that lifts sanctions.”
Such an agreement, the newspaper warned, “would indirectly help the Iranian regime survive and recover, thereby threatening its surroundings once again.”
“The worst-case scenario,” the paper added, is that “a US-Iran agreement could constrain Israel and limit its ability to independently confront Iranian nuclear and missile threats, or lead to a direct confrontation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.”
Yedioth Ahronoth said Netanyahu advanced the visit for two main reasons: “First, to convince Trump in advance to narrow the scope of concessions that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may agree to with the Iranians,” and second, Iran’s rapid rebuilding of its ballistic missile and drone capabilities.
According to the daily, Iran now views ballistic missiles as its primary deterrent in the absence of nuclear weapons and is accelerating missile development, production and launch systems.
Trump “repeatedly refers only to the Iranian nuclear program and avoids mentioning missiles or proxies,” fueling Israeli concerns that Washington could accept a nuclear-only agreement that the US president could present as a major achievement, claiming it is better than the 2015 deal reached under the Obama administration, the paper said.
“From Israel’s perspective, any agreement that does not restrict the range of Iranian ballistic missiles would be extremely problematic,” it said, warning that lifting sanctions would allow Iran to resume oil and gas exports and ease internal economic pressure.
*Writing by Lina Altawell
