Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday at the White House for another important meeting. This is Netanyahu’s sixth trip to the US since Trump took office. A main point of discussion is likely to be Iran’s nuclear capabilities and increasing ballistic arsenal.
Netanyahu is likely to ask Trump to broaden the scope of negotiations with Tehran. In President Biden’s negotiations with Tehran, the only focal point has been nuclear weapons development. However, Netanyahu is calling for any long-term agreement negotiations to include the missile issue and Iran’s funding of proxies.
Dealing with the ‘Empire of Evil’
Ahead of the meeting, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that peace will only be possible with strong opposition to the Iranian “Empire of Evil”.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli Prime Minister will discuss firm “principles for negotiations” with Trump. Netanyahu stated, “I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations.” Israel is concerned that a nuclear deal with Iran will be done “too hastily” and that it will still leave Iran’s military threats, including long-range missiles, unaddressed.
Trump Considering “Second Armada” as a Way to Influence Tehran
This meeting will coincide with President Trump’s increased military presence in the Middle East. Trump is considering sending a second “armada” to the Middle East, referring to an aircraft carrier strike group. The USS Abraham Lincoln was recently sent to the Middle East.
According to Trump, the “maximum pressure” campaign is working, and he claims Iran “wants to make a deal very badly”. Trump has also deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East and stated that as a country, Israel has the right to make its own decisions regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Missiles, Proxies, and Other Iranian Threats
A growing source of frustration for Israeli officials is the ‘maximalist’ list of demands for the upcoming deal with the Iranians. If true, it would leak to Trump and draw negotiations to a close. Rumors suggest Netanyahu is concerned about a deal Trump might strike regarding a nuclear program, as it would award the administration a significant diplomatic success, and would do so without Israel’s approval. They would consider Israel’s list of demands to be fully justified and include the following.
- Complete cessation of uranium enrichment.
- Ballistic missile program closure.
- Contraction of Iranian support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
While talking to Israel’s concern, Dan Byman, Professor of Georgetown has stated Israel’s biggest concern is Trump would be more inclined to focus on “getting a deal” instead of Trump’s many security provisions Israel needs to feel secure.
Tensions In The West Bank and The Gaza Ceasefire
Trump and Netanyahu are both interested in addressing issues with Iran, and many people think they are also concerned with the next phase of the Gaza deal. Ever since both sides agreed to a ceasefire deal in October. There have been tracking reports of multiple violations, and little to no progress has been made on the next phase of disarming Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.
At the same time, the West Bank situation is also getting worse. The Israeli government made a new law that makes it easier for Israeli Jews to buy land in the West Bank that is occupied. Of course, the У West Bank Palestinians, see this as a sign that the Israeli Government is planning to quietly take the West Bank for themselves. These domestic issues will probably be included in the regional security talks at the White House.
Iranian Regime Vulnerability?
There is a belief that, of the two, the US and Israel, the timing is more ideal for the US. There have been mass protests in Iran, and the US and Israel conducted an air strike together, so the Iranian government is considered to be weak.
As stated by Professor Mohammed Hafez, “The Iranian regime today is really vulnerable“. Because of this perception, this has made Netanyahu more aggressive to get a deal that covers all of Iran’s military activities and not just its nuclear weapons. The world will be observing the beginning talks at the White House to see if Trump is going to ride Netanyahu’s extreme position, or will he adopt a more conservative diplomatic trade-off.
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