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Netanyahu to meet Trump in Washington amid tensions over Iran talks

Iran negotiations high on the agenda as Israel presses for tougher conditions and signals continued opposition to diplomacy with Tehran

Updated 6 months ago · Published on 08 Feb 2026 8:37AM

Netanyahu to meet Trump in Washington amid tensions over Iran talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington this week - February 8, 2026

ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet United States President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday to discuss negotiations with Iran, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office.

AFP reported on Saturday that Netanyahu believes that any negotiations with Tehran must include restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme and a halt to its support for regional proxy groups, the statement said, referring to several Iran-aligned actors across the Middle East.

The meeting will mark the sixth encounter between Netanyahu and Trump since the US president took office a year ago.

Iran and the United States held talks in Oman on Friday, after which Trump said the negotiations would resume early next week.

Despite Iran being regarded as a principal adversary of both Washington and Tel Aviv, Israel has adopted a firmer stance in opposing diplomatic engagement between Tehran and the US, arguing that negotiations risk legitimising Iran’s regional ambitions.

Geopolitical analyst Michael Horowitz said Israel was pushing for the long-term weakening, or even the collapse, of the Iranian regime, including through the launch of additional strikes if deemed necessary.

Netanyahu last month warned that Israel would retaliate if attacked by Iran, threatening to deploy force “that Iran has never witnessed before.” - February 8, 2026

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