WASHINGTON (TNND) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday for a last-minute meeting to discuss the ongoing tensions in Iran.
The visit with Trump will be the seventh meeting between the pair in his second term as president.
Netanyahu met with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister’s Office shared. They discussed “regional issues,” and the American team provided an update on the first round of negotiations held with Iran in Oman last Friday.
In an interview with Fox Business on Tuesday, Trump said he thinks Iran would be foolish if it did not make a deal. He also said it has to be a “good deal” with no nuclear weapons or missiles.
Netanyahu has urged President Trump to expand negotiations with Iran to include issues concerning Israel, including the following:
“I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles which, in my opinion, are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said before departing Israel on Tuesday.
Iran is still recovering from the 12-day war with Israel in June, which included U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. At the time, President Trump said the U.S. strikes obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Recently, the U.S. has built up a military presence in the region, including an aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers and air defense assets.
Trump and Netanyahu will also likely discuss the future of the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan ahead of the president’s first Board of Peace meeting next week.
Netanyahu is staying at Blair House, the president’s guest residence across from the White House, for the visit.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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