The Israeli prime minister, who departed for Washington, D.C., praised his close relationship with the US president amid nuclear negotiations with Iran.
listen to this article3 minutes
information
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will present “principles” for negotiations with Iran to President Donald Trump as he heads to Washington, D.C., for his sixth state visit in the past year.
Before leaving Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the “unique closeness” between Israel and the United States and his own warm bond with President Trump.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
“I will present President Trump with principles for negotiations with Iran that are important not only for Israel but for everyone who wants peace and security,” Netanyahu told reporters, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“In my opinion, these are important principles for everyone who wants peace and security in the Middle East.”
His visit comes days after the United States and Iran concluded a series of nuclear negotiations in Oman. The talks are the first since the June 2025 war, when the United States bombed Iran’s main nuclear facilities following waves of Israeli attacks.
Israel has not taken part in these talks, but Netanyahu has long sought to influence the US president to shape US policy in the region.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not elaborate on his “principles” for a potential deal with Iran, but he has previously said Tehran should agree to a complete disarmament of heavy weapons, similar to Libya’s 2003 deal with the West.
Iran has ruled out negotiations over its missile program, which it views as one of its most important deterrents against an attack on Israel.
When Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran last June, killing hundreds of civilians as well as the country’s top generals and nuclear scientists, Iran relied primarily on missiles to respond after its air defenses were destroyed.
Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israel, dozens of which penetrated the country’s layered air defenses, killing 28 people and causing significant damage.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Iran’s missile program is a defense issue that is “never negotiable.”
Israel and the United States could also pressure Iran to end its support for networks of allied non-state actors in the region, including Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Palestinian Hamas, and Iraqi militant groups.
But the alliance, known as the Axis of Resistance, has already been weakened by Israeli attacks over the past two years.
Another issue in the negotiations is whether Iran will be allowed to enrich uranium domestically.
The Iranian government says it agrees to strict limits and monitoring of its nuclear activities, but insists that domestic enrichment is a sovereign national right.
Despite Washington’s talks with Iran, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who is accompanying Netanyahu on the trip, stressed that Israel and the United States have the same red line when it comes to Iran.
“I think there’s an unusual alignment between Israel and the United States. Everyone wants a solution without war, but that’s up to Iran,” he told reporters.
“If they insist on having nuclear weapons and enriched uranium, I think the president has made it clear that that is not acceptable.”
The United States has moved the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, destroyers, and fighter jets to the Middle East to pressure Iran into a deal. The Iranian government says it remains unwavering in its threat of war.
