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.
European leaders are meeting in Finland for a high-level summit on Arctic security and cooperation as the region takes on greater strategic importa...
Georgia has been formally integrated into the European Union's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), bringing Anaklia Deep-Sea Port, Georgi...
Türkiye’s foreign minister has renewed calls for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to disarm and disband, during talks with...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
Swedes vote in an election on Sunday (13 September) that could see the far-right enter government for the first time if the country's right-wing parties can form a majority.
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said an attack on a train near the Polish border was an attempt to intimidate Ukraine's allies.
Georgia has been formally integrated into the European Union's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), bringing Anaklia Deep-Sea Port, Georgian Railway's main line and the East-West Highway into the network's expanded framework.
Türkiye’s foreign minister has renewed calls for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to disarm and disband, during talks with Syrian officials in Damascus.
Pakistan is providing targeted relief to millions of people after a sharp rise in global oil prices pushed domestic petrol and diesel prices higher, with disruption around two major Middle East shipping routes adding pressure to the country’s energy supply chain.
The European Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have launched a $5.7 million initiative in Afghanistan to help farmers reach markets, strengthen agribusinesses and withstand climate and economic shocks.
ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 will bring startups, investors and global technology companies to Tashkent from 22 to 25 September, with venture capital, artificial intelligence and international expansion at the heart of the four-day event.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment