Florida [US], December 30 (ANI): For the second consecutive day, US President Donald Trump played host at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday for peace talks, Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (local time).
The back-to-back meetings with leaders of two war-torn nations, Israel, which has secured a peace agreement, and Ukraine, which continues to seek one, mark a key moment in US diplomacy. Standing outside his Mar-a-lago club as Trump shakes hands with Netanyahu, he said, “We have to have a peace plan for Gaza as quickly as we can, but there has to be a disarmament, we have to disarm with Hamas. One of the things we will talk about.” 
Months after a Gaza peace deal was signed in Egypt, the situation in the region remains uncertain, as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza. Despite the agreement aimed at restoring peace, the future of Gaza hangs in the balance.
Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that the reconstruction of Gaza would “begin pretty soon.”As the two leaders meet, discussions are expected to focus on the second phase of the deal, which includes Hamas’ disarmament, the start of reconstruction efforts, and the establishment of post-war governance. Central to the proposed plan for administering Gaza is the creation of a “Board of Peace,” to be led by Trump, along with other world leaders.
Before he met with Trump, Netanyahu also held talks with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following his meeting with Rubio, Netanyahu wrote in a post on X, “I had a great meeting in Florida with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”
A video released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office showed Netanyahu and Rubio greeting each other with a handshake before taking their seats, with the US and Israeli flags displayed in the background, underscoring the diplomatic nature of the engagement.
Netanyahu’s visit reflects his continued outreach to the US administration as he seeks a tougher American stance on Hamas in Gaza, while also raising concerns over Iran’s advancing ballistic missile programme. Over the past year, he has made multiple visits to the US, publicly praising Trump as Israel’s strongest ally while privately urging stronger action against what Israel views as its primary security threats, CNN reported.
However, the political backdrop to the meeting appears more complex than in previous engagements. Trump, who has repeatedly described himself as a president focused on peace, has grown more cautious in recent months regarding certain Israeli military actions, including strikes in Syria. He has also remained sensitive to domestic US opinion, which has shown limited appetite for deeper American involvement in another Middle Eastern conflict. (ANI)
“We’ll knock them down”: Trump warns of fresh strikes if Iran rebuilds missiles programme
Florida [US], December 30 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday warned that the United States would carry out another military strike against Iran if it attempts to rebuild its ballistic missile or nuclear programme. Speaking to reporters alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said Washington was closely watching Tehran’s actions.”
I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump said. “We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them.”
When asked whether the US would support an Israeli strike targeting Iran‘s missile programme, Trump said he would support an attack on Iran “immediately” if it tries to redevelop its nuclear capabilities, urging Tehran instead to pursue talks with the United States. Trump said, “If they will continue with the missiles, yes. The nuclear? One will be: Yes, absolutely. The other is: We’ll do it immediately.” “That’s smarter. They could have made a deal the last time before we went through, you know, a big attack on them,” Trump added.
Earlier this year, the US bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran, an operation Trump has repeatedly described as a major military success, which “obliterated” Iran‘s nuclear programme. However, Netanyahu has recently warned that Iran is once again expanding its ballistic missile programme and is expected to push for tougher action during his meetings with Trump this week.
When asked whether he would support the overthrow of the Iranian regime, Trump avoided giving a direct answer but spoke at length about Iran‘s internal situation.”I am not going to talk about the overthrow of a regime,” Trump said. “They have got a lot of problems there. They have tremendous inflation. Their economy is no good, and the people aren’t happy.” He added, “Every time they have a riot, or whenever somebody forms a group, big or small, they start shooting people. They kill people. I have watched this for years, there is tremendous discontent.”The statement comes as Netanyahu and Trump meet at his Mar-a-lago club to discuss the second phase of the Gaza peace plan. (ANI)
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