After a three-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he intends, at this stage, to continue pursuing an agreement with Iran rather than move toward military action. He stressed that negotiations remain the preferred course, despite persistent risks and heightened tensions.
At the same time, the positions of the two sides diverge sharply. Trump described the meeting as “very good,” but Netanyahu has long been skeptical of diplomacy with Iran and tends to view the military option as more reliable. Such differences have surfaced before—ahead of Israel’s June strike on Iran, the leaders’ public statements also diverged, even though the operation was later closely coordinated.
Talks between the United States and Iran resumed last Friday in Oman—for the first time since June. In parallel, Washington has begun a significant buildup of its military presence in the Persian Gulf. Trump said he expects a second round of talks as early as next week, but did not rule out deploying a second carrier strike group to the region if the negotiations fail.
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting with Netanyahu, Trump wrote that “nothing final was achieved,” aside from his insistence on continuing negotiations to determine whether a deal is possible. “If it is possible, I made it clear to the prime minister that this would be the preferred option. If not—then we will see what the outcome is,” he said.
Trump also recalled that ahead of the “twelve-day war” in June last year, Iran had refused to conclude an agreement with the United States. “That ended badly for them. I hope this time they will be more sensible and responsible,” the president wrote.
Netanyahu’s office, for its part, said the prime minister had “emphasized the security needs of the State of Israel in the context of the talks with Iran,” and had also noted an agreement to maintain close coordination and constant contact between the two sides.
Beyond Iran, the leaders also discussed the situation in Gaza. According to Trump, the conversation touched on “the significant progress being made in Gaza and in the region as a whole.”