Washington DC [US], February 12 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “good” one, underlining the strong relationship between the two countries while stressing the need for continued negotiations with Iran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that while nothing definitive was agreed upon, he had insisted that talks with Iran should continue to explore the possibility of a deal. He added that reaching an agreement would be preferable, but warned that the outcome could be different if negotiations failed.
Referring to past US military action, Trump recalled “Operation Midnight Hammer,” under which the United States carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure on June 21–22, 2025. The operation targeted three key sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump said Iran’s decision at the time not to pursue a deal “did not work well for them.”
“Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer — That did not work well for them,” Trump wrote. He expressed hope that Tehran would be “more reasonable and responsible” this time.
Iran had strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Trump also said the meeting covered developments in Gaza and the broader Middle East, claiming that “tremendous progress” was being made in the region. “There is truly PEACE in the Middle East,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu met Trump at the White House, marking their sixth meeting since Trump returned to office in early 2025. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now meeting with US President Donald Trump, at the White House,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Prior to the White House meeting, Netanyahu met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Blair House in Washington. According to his office, Netanyahu also signed up, in Rubio’s presence, as a member of the Board of Peace.
Netanyahu had said shortly before departing for Washington that Gaza would be among a “series of issues” to be discussed during his meeting with Trump, CNN reported.
The US announced the start of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan in mid-January, following the formation of a new committee to administer the war-battered enclave. The first phase of the US-brokered 20-point ceasefire agreement, which took effect in mid-October, concluded after the remains of the final deceased Israeli hostage in Gaza were returned to Israel in January, and the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was partially reopened last week.
Trump has been pushing to advance the ceasefire into its second phase, along with plans for a governing board and a Palestinian technocratic committee to run Gaza. Netanyahu, however, has maintained that Hamas must disarm before any reconstruction can begin, CNN reported.
In January, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the second phase would focus on “demilitarisation, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” though details on implementation remain limited.
Netanyahu’s visit to Washington also comes amid Israel’s recent moves to tighten control over the occupied West Bank. (ANI)
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