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.
Israel reportedly launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday (20 March), a day after U.S. President Donald...
The trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has officially become the most-watched trailer of all time, racking up 718.6 million views in its first 2...
Georgia’s relationship with the European Union is coming under increasing strain, as Members of the European Parliament openly criticise both...
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris, the martial artist, actor and cultural icon best known for his roles in action films and the long-running CB...
A U.S. federal arts body has approved the design of a 24-karat gold commemorative coin featuring President Dona...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13rd of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Officials in Azerbaijan have said they have stopped terror attacks in Azerbaijan including on an Israeli Embassy, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and a Synagogue. Tensions between regional and global powers escalate. Military activity, security alerts and travel disruptions continue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran may take "some time" but it will not take years.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field without U.S. or Qatari involvement, and warned that any Iranian attack on Qatar would prompt massive retaliation. The comments come as regional tensions soar after Tehran fired missiles at Gulf energy sites.
Israel reportedly launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday (20 March), a day after U.S. President Donald Trump told it not to repeat its strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which sharply escalated the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris, the martial artist, actor and cultural icon best known for his roles in action films and the long-running CBS series Walker, Texas Ranger, has died at the age of 86.
Transport groups across the Philippines launched a nationwide strike on Thursday in protest against rising oil prices. The action affected 15 to 20 protest centres in Metro Manila, with similar demonstrations taking place across several major provinces.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has refused to lift his opposition to a €90 billion ($104 billion) European Union loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion, following a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday (19 March).
Georgia’s relationship with the European Union is coming under increasing strain, as Members of the European Parliament openly criticise both the country’s political direction and the EU’s response.
Ankara has conveyed “friendly advice” to the Iranian leadership in an effort to avert a wider war in the Middle East, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday in the Qatari capital, Doha.
The UK has authorised transactions involving Kazakh oil transported through Russia, creating a limited exemption within its sanctions regime while maintaining broader restrictions on Russian-linked entities.
Israel reportedly launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday (20 March), a day after U.S. President Donald Trump told it not to repeat its strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which sharply escalated the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Iranian attacks have wiped out 17% of Qatar’s liquified natural gas export capacity (LNG), equivalent to $20 billion in lost annual revenue, the CEO of Qatar’s state-owned energy company, Saad al-Kaabi said on Thursday (19 March).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment