US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed during their meeting at the White House on Wednesday that the United States will increase economic pressure on Iran, particularly targeting Iranian oil sales to China, according to two US officials briefed on the matter and quoted by Axios.
More than 80 percent of Iranian oil exports go to China. Officials believe that if Beijing reduces its purchases, economic pressure on Tehran would rise significantly and could alter Iran's calculus regarding its nuclear program.
US officials told Axios the renewed maximum pressure campaign will proceed alongside ongoing nuclear talks with Iran and a continued US military build-up in the Middle East in case diplomacy fails. "We agreed that we will go full force with maximum pressure against Iran, for example, regarding Iranian oil sales to China," a senior US official told the site.
An executive order recently signed by Trump allows the administration to intensify economic pressure. The order gives the secretaries of State and Commerce authority to recommend tariffs of up to 25 percent on any country that conducts business with Iran.
Behind the scenes, US officials told Axios that Trump and Netanyahu agreed on the desired end state of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but differed on how to achieve it. Netanyahu told Trump it is impossible to secure a good deal with Iran and argued that even if one is signed, Tehran will not honor it, according to a US official.
The same official said Trump expressed cautious openness to diplomacy. "We'll see if it's possible. Let's give it a shot", Trump said, according to the US official.
In recent days, Trump asked advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to assess the chances of reaching an agreement with Iran. A US official said the advisers told Trump that history suggests it is difficult, if not impossible, to secure a strong deal, but noted that the Iranians are currently saying the right things.
The two advisers are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Geneva on Tuesday for a second round of talks. Earlier this week, Witkoff relayed messages to Tehran through the Omani foreign minister, and Washington expects to receive an Iranian response at the Geneva meeting.
"We are sober and realistic about the Iranians. The ball is in their court. If it is not a real deal, we will not take it," a US official said.
A second US official expressed deep skepticism, saying there is "zero chance" that Iran will agree to US terms or vice versa.