"Nuclear talks with Iran must continue"/ Trump and Netanyahu meet at the White House

2026-02-11 22:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Nuclear talks with Iran must continue"/ Trump and Netanyahu meet at

US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House today.

The meeting, which reportedly lasted about three hours, ended without reaching an agreement on the nuclear negotiations with Iran. In a reaction on Truth Social, Trump said that the meeting also discussed Gaza and the Middle East region in general.

"I just finished meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and some of his representatives. It was a very good meeting, the excellent relationship between our two countries continues. Nothing conclusive was achieved except that I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be reached. If he can, I let the Prime Minister know that that would be a preference. If he can't, we'll have to see what the outcome is. Last time, Iran decided it was better not to make a deal and got hit with the "Midnight Hammer" - that didn't work out well for them. We hope they will be more reasonable and responsible this time. In addition, we discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza and the region in general. There is truly PEACE in the Middle East. Thank you for your attention to this issue ," Trump said in a statement.

The two leaders met at the White House as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East and negotiations intensify over curbing Iran's nuclear weapons program. Iran has suggested it is willing to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but has rejected other demands.

Ahead of the White House meeting, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that his country would not bow to excessive demands. Netanyahu's visit marks his sixth trip to the US since Trump returned to office, more than any other world leader.

Netanyahu's office also provided details of the meeting, saying the leaders had discussed the security needs of the State of Israel in the context of the negotiations and agreed to continue their close coordination and relationship. A close ally of Trump, Netanyahu has long argued that Iran represents an existential threat to Israel's security and has pushed the US to curb Tehran's influence in the region.

"The Prime Minister believes that any negotiations must include limiting ballistic missiles and ending support for the Iranian axis," Netanyahu's office said in a statement ahead of his trip.

After arriving in Washington on Tuesday, Netanyahu met with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. According to the prime minister's office, the pair provided an update on the first round of negotiations they held with Iran last Friday.

Netanyahu's visit comes at a time when the US is increasing its military presence in the Middle East, with Trump warning Tehran of attacks if it does not reach a deal on its nuclear program and stop the killing of protesters. /CNA