Trump before the meeting with Netanyahu
Trump before the meeting with NetanyahuAvi Ohayon/GPO

Has Israel’s main goal in the meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump been achieved?

A senior American official told Arutz Sheva on Monday night that the Iranian issue made up a significant part of the one-hour meeting between the two.

"Trump stressed that his goal is to continue the struggle against Iran's bad influence in the region and to solve the Syrian crisis in a manner consistent with the security interests of the United States and Israel," the official said, adding that the meeting was another milestone in the strengthening of relations between the United States and Israel.

"The President emphasized the unshakable commitment of the United States to the security of Israel.”

The American official further said that "there is real optimism in the administration that peace with the Palestinians is achievable - and the way forward will be to expand economic opportunities to improve the conditions for peace."

Another issue that came up in the conversation between the two leaders was the conduct toward Israel at the UN, said the official.

"The President promised the Prime Minister that under the leadership of Ambassador Haley, the United States would oppose unfair treatment of Israel at the UN," the official noted.

In remarks before the bilateral meeting between the two, Netanyahu told Trump, "I look forward to discussing with you how we can address together what you rightly called is the terrible nuclear deal with Iran and how to roll back Iran's growing aggression in the region, especially in Syria.”

Trump, in his remarks, did not mention the Iran issue, but did mention his administration’s efforts to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

“We're going to be discussing many things; among them, peace between the Palestinians and Israel -- it will be a fantastic achievement. We are giving it an absolute go. I think there's a good chance that it could happen. Most people would say there's no chance whatsoever,” Trump said.

“I actually think with the capability of Bibi and, frankly, the other side, I really think we have a chance. I think Israel would like to see it, and I think the Palestinians would like to see it. And I can tell you that the Trump administration would like to see it,” he stressed.

Netanyahu has expressed concerns not just about the Iranian nuclear deal, but also over the fact that Iran and its proxies taking over areas vacated by the Islamic State (ISIS) group in Syria.

A recent Mossad assessment found that the Iranian regime is expanding its control across the Middle East through proxy forces in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.