Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this evening (Tuesday) at the White House with US President Donald Trump. The central issues of their meeting were the Iranian matter and Israel’s concern about a potential agreement with Iran that would not truly address the Iranian nuclear problem.
At the end of the meeting, a White House spokesperson issued a statement saying it was "productive and good.
The Israeli delegation included the military secretary, the head of the National Security Council, and Ambassador Yechiel Leiter. On the American side, the participants include the Vice President, JD Vance; the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; the Secretary of War; Pete Hegseth, the CIA director, John Ratcliffe; and the presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff.
According to reports, during the meeting Netanyahu is expected to present Trump with data and intelligence evidence regarding alleged nuclear activity carried out at Pickaxe Mountain near the nuclear facility in Natanz.
At the end of the meeting, no joint press conference with statements is expected to take place. The entry of the accompanying journalists accompanying Netanyahu was also limited.
In an interview with the “Fox News" network prior to the meeting, Trump addressed the nuclear site known as Pickaxe Mountain, which, according to Israeli intelligence assessments, has received centrifuges, and he played down its significance. “It’s not a big deal," he said.
When asked whether Netanyahu updated him about the Iranian activity at the site, he responded with a jab at the prime minister: “I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. I know exactly what’s happening there."
Trump added that the United States can quickly destroy bridges, power stations, and additional infrastructure in Iran, but clarified that he does not want to do that at this stage. “I want to avoid that. I don’t want to do that," he said.
According to the US president, Iran is seeking to resume contacts with Washington. “Iran wants to talk. There’s a possibility we’ll do a deal," he said.
