Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday, a date brought forward as indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Oman restart and Tehran presses its enrichment rights while ruling out missile negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Washington after the timetable for their planned 18 February encounter was advanced.
Netanyahu’s office did not elaborate on the change, but the shift comes as Iran and the U.S. return to indirect talks in Muscat.
Iranian and U.S. officials held a round of discussions on Friday in the Omani capital, with both sides saying further engagement was expected soon.
A regional diplomat briefed by Tehran said Iran insisted on its “right to enrich uranium” during the exchanges and that missile capabilities were not raised.
Tehran has repeatedly ruled out putting its ballistic missile programme up for negotiation and maintains that enrichment is a sovereign right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Iranian officials describe the missile arsenal as non-negotiable and central to national defence.
The regional diplomat said Iran conveyed the same position on Friday and voiced no willingness to extend the agenda beyond nuclear issues.
Tehran has one of the Middle East’s largest missile inventories and sees any external pressure on the programme as unacceptable.
Netanyahu to press for missile curbs
Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister wants the U.S. position to include “limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of the support for the Iranian axis.”
Wednesday’s session will be the seventh meeting between Netanyahu and Trump since the U.S. president returned to office last year.
A spokesperson declined to comment on why the date was moved up, but Israeli officials have said the prime minister sees the current diplomatic window as critical for setting terms before further rounds with Iran begin.
Last June, the U.S. joined an Israeli military campaign targeting Iran’s uranium enrichment and nuclear installations, marking the most direct American military action against the Islamic Republic.
Iran retaliated with a missile strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, prompting warnings from both Washington and Tel Aviv that they would act again if Tehran pressed ahead with advanced enrichment or missile development.
The U.S. and Israel have continued to caution Iran that further steps towards higher-grade enrichment or expanded missile production would cross declared red lines.
Regional fears of renewed confrontation
World powers and neighbouring states worry that a collapse in talks could trigger a broader confrontation between Iran and the U.S., with potential spillover across the oil-producing Gulf.
Tehran has warned that any strike would provoke a “harsh response” and has cautioned Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. bases that they could be exposed if involved in future military action.
The renewed diplomatic push in Oman now unfolds against this backdrop of risk, with both sides signalling cautious interest but deep mistrust over the scope and direction of the negotiations.
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Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the United States and Israel launched "major combat operations" in Iran, prompting retaliatio...
Following the U.S.-Israel strikes, Iran has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to be held on Monday (2 March), and vo...
The international reaction to the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran came in fast and strong....
Governments across the region responded swiftly to Israel’s strikes on Iran, closing airspace, issuing travel advisories and activating contingency ...
Journalist and International Affairs Commentator, Tom Gross, joined AnewZ from Tel Aviv to tell us why he thinks the attack happened now and whether this could mark the beginning of the end for the Iranian leadership.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit, becoming the first Indian premier to address the Knesset. He praised the “vital” India–Israel ties and reaffirmed solidarity amid regional tensions.
Türkiye has signalled readiness to contribute to a proposed Gaza stabilisation force during the inaugural Board of Peace meeting on Thursday (19 February), but according to former Turkish diplomat Mehmet Öğütçü, the decisive factor will be whether Israel and the United States agree on Ankara’s role.
Israel is preparing for the possibility of receiving a green light from the United States to launch strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile system, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the United States and Israel launched "major combat operations" in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
Two people were killed and around 40 injured when a tram derailed in central Milan on Friday (27 February), a spokesperson for the local fire service said.
The United States is expected to deploy six additional aerial refuelling aircraft to Israel as Washington continues to strengthen its military presence in the Middle East while nuclear negotiations with Iran remain under way.
Pakistani air strikes hit a weapons depot on the western outskirts of Kabul overnight, triggering hours of secondary explosions that rattled homes across the Afghan capital and left residents fearing further violence.
Journalist and International Affairs Commentator, Tom Gross, joined AnewZ from Tel Aviv to tell us why he thinks the attack happened now and whether this could mark the beginning of the end for the Iranian leadership.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the United States and Israel launched "major combat operations" in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Following the U.S.-Israel strikes, Iran has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to be held on Monday (2 March), and vowed strong retaliation to the attacks. Touraj Shiralilou sent this update from Tehran.
The international reaction to the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran came in fast and strong.
Governments across the region responded swiftly to Israel’s strikes on Iran, closing airspace, issuing travel advisories and activating contingency plans amid fears of escalation.
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