US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday did not reach any final agreement.
No decisions were made regarding Gaza or the direction of policy toward Iran, but he stressed that talks with Tehran would continue to see whether a deal could be reached.
Netanyahu, who had been expected to urge Trump to expand diplomacy with Iran beyond its nuclear program — including limiting its missile weapons — emphasized that Israel’s security interests must be taken into account.
However, he gave no indication that Trump had made the commitments he was seeking.
The two leaders held closed-door discussions for more than two and a half hours in what Trump described as a very good meeting.
Nevertheless, he said no major decisions were reached and did not publicly state that he accepted Netanyahu’s appeal.
Trump had previously threatened to strike Iran if no agreement was achieved, while Tehran vowed retaliation, raising fears of a wider war as the US builds up forces in West Asia.
He has repeatedly voiced support for Israel’s security, a long-time US ally and Iran’s main adversary.
In a media interview on Tuesday, Trump reiterated his strong warning to Iran, saying he believes Tehran wants a deal.
“Nothing final was agreed upon except that I stressed negotiations with Iran will continue to see whether a deal can be reached or not,” Trump said in a social media post after meeting Netanyahu.
“If possible, I told the Prime Minister that would be the priority.
“If not, we will have to see what the outcome will be,” Trump added, noting that the last time Iran chose not to agree, the US struck its nuclear sites last June.
Trump told Fox Business in an interview aired Tuesday that a good deal with Iran would mean no nuclear weapons, no missiles, without elaborating further.
He also told Axios that he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier strike group as part of a major US military buildup near Iran.
“The missile capability of the Islamic Republic is non-negotiable,” said Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, on Wednesday.
Gaza was also on the meeting agenda, and Trump intends to pursue the ceasefire deal he helped broker.
“We discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the Region in general,” Trump said after the meeting.
Part of Trump’s Gaza plan offers the prospect of a future Palestinian state, something long opposed by Netanyahu and his coalition, which is the most right-wing government in Israel’s history.
Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Sunday approved measures that would make it easier for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank to purchase land, while granting Israel broader authority in areas Palestinians consider the heart of their future state.
The decision drew international condemnation, and on Tuesday Trump reiterated his opposition to the annexation of the West Bank.
