U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss negotiations with Iran was inconclusive and that the United States would continue talking with the Islamic Republic.
“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” Trump wrote.
“If it can, I let the prime minister know that will be a preference,” Trump stated. “If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”
Trump and Netanyahu met at the White House about two and a half hours during the Israeli premier’s seventh visit to the United States since Trump resumed office.
Talks between the United States and Iran, which began in Oman on Friday, were nearly scuttled at the last minute when Iran insisted that the discussions be relocated from their original site in Turkey and be limited to Iran’s nuclear program.
U.S. officials have said that the talks will cover a range of Iranian actions, including its brutal suppression of domestic protests.
“I’d rather make a deal that’s going to be a good deal,” Trump told Fox News on Tuesday. “No nuclear weapons. No missiles. No this, no that. All of the different things that you want.”
Trump ordered additional U.S. forces to deploy to the region ahead of the talks, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which the president has described as leading an “armada” that could take part in military strikes against Iran.
He alluded to that threat again in his readout of the meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday.
“Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer,” Trump stated. “That did not work well for them. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that the two leaders talked about negotiations with Iran, Gaza and regional developments.
“The prime minister emphasized the security needs of the State of Israel in the context of the negotiations,” per the Israeli readout. “The two leaders agreed on continued coordination and the close contact between them.”
Trump said that the two leaders also discussed the “tremendous progress” in Gaza and the wider region.
