Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu “see eye-to-eye on the Iranian threat in all its aspects,” the Israeli premier said on Sunday following phone calls with the American.
“In recent days, I have spoken three times with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump,” the Israeli prime minister revealed in written remarks published by the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday afternoon.
The “very good and important talks” were meant to “further enhance the steadfast bond” with Washington, Netanyahu said.
“We see eye-to-eye on the Iranian threat in all its aspects and on the dangers they reflect,” he said. “We also see the great opportunities facing Israel, in the area of peace and its expansion, and in other areas.”
Over the weekend, sources briefed on Trump’s early plans told The Wall Street Journal that he plans to renew his “maximum pressure” campaign on the Islamic Republic when he returns to the White House on Jan. 20, including issuing punishing sanctions and targeting its oil income.
The American sources said that the harsh measures against the regime will be part of an aggressive strategy to weaken Tehran’s support for its regional terrorist proxies and significantly harm its nuclear ambitions.
Former Trump administration officials said that his approach will likely be influenced by Iran’s attempts to assassinate him. The Department of Justice charged three men on Friday for their involvement in the plot.
During his presidential term from 2017 to 2021, Trump imposed sanctions on Iran for its pursuit of nukes and took the United States out of an agreement in 2018 with Tehran forged three years earlier by his predecessor, Barack Obama.
At a Nov. 5 election rally, Trump said that he wants Iran “to be a very successful country,” but that the regime “can’t have nuclear weapons.”
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer—a close adviser to the prime minister—was scheduled to travel to the United States on Sunday night for talks with Biden administration officials. Dermer will also visit Mar-a-Lago in Florida for a meeting with Trump, a senior Israeli official told Axios.
Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing wars in the Gaza Strip and Southern Lebanon, American and Israeli officials told the outlet.
