Netanyahu after meeting Trump: I doubt the viability of the agreement with Iran
Washington (Agencies): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised a “great” meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, affirming their agreement on the necessity of preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, in their first encounter since the start of the war against Iran in late February. Netanyahu stated that the alliance between the United States is solid as a “granite wall.” He clarified in an interview with Fox News following his meeting with Trump that he agrees with the U.S. president on not allowing the Iranian regime to possess a nuclear weapon, so as not to enable it to threaten Americans, global peace, and Israel’s existence. He also affirmed that their shared goal of neutralizing the Iranian threat will be achieved, whether through the diplomatic track or other means.
In response to a question about whether there are conflicting factions within Iran between hardliners and moderates, Netanyahu expressed clear skepticism about the viability of reaching an agreement with Tehran, but suggested that the only way to achieve such an accord lies in Iran recognizing the nature of these different factions. When asked about claims that “hardliners” within the Iranian regime seek to sabotage any potential agreement by attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeting regional states, Netanyahu warned that Israel would respond with “immense force” to any attack against it.
Relations between officials had reached their lowest point in April, coinciding with a Washington-Tehran agreement on a ceasefire. However, this understanding collapsed when both sides resumed hostilities on July 7, a conflict from which Israel has remained largely insulated. With the cessation of reciprocal strikes between Iran and the United States since Friday night and Washington’s reaffirmation of its desire to give the diplomatic track a chance, Netanyahu’s comments reflected the dominance of the Islamic Republic file in the closed-door meeting, which was not attended by journalists as is customary when leaders receive visitors in the Oval Office.
The meeting, described by the White House as “positive and productive,” lasted about an hour and a half, marking the eighth encounter between Netanyahu and Trump since the latter returned to the White House last year. During a period of tension between Netanyahu and Trump, the U.S. president had sharply criticized his Israeli ally. In a media interview, he described him as “a very difficult man,” because Israeli forces continued to bomb Lebanon heavily while Washington was leading negotiations with Tehran to halt the war, thereby obstructing those talks. Trump had previously admitted that he had used harsh and profane language during a phone call with Netanyahu. However, Netanyahu downplayed the significance of those disagreements, characterizing them as “differences in approach” and affirming that both sides agree on the war’s objectives.
The meeting was also expected to address the implementation of the framework agreement brokered by the United States and signed by Israel and Lebanon last month, the implementation of which continues to face difficulties on the ground. Israel’s UN representative, Danny Danon, stated on Tuesday that Netanyahu’s visit comes at a “critical juncture in the Middle East,” at a time when Iran continues to “choose terrorism over negotiations” and has closed the Strait of Hormuz since the resumption of hostilities.
