‘Negotiations must continue’: Trump presses Netanyahu, warns Iran over ‘Midnight Hammer’

Trump pushes diplomacy, warns Iran again (File)

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep diplomatic channels with Iran open over its nuclear programme, signalling that Washington still favours a negotiated outcome.

“I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after a three-hour meeting with Netanyahu at the White House. “There was nothing definitive reached other than that,” he added.

Trump said he made clear to the Israeli leader that a deal with Tehran remained his preferred option. “If it can be consummated, that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be,” he said.

The US president also issued a warning to Iran against walking away from diplomacy again. “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. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible,” Trump said, referring to the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, during which the United States joined Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The meeting marked the seventh encounter between Trump and Netanyahu since the US leader returned to office. According to a separate AFP report, Netanyahu’s visit to Washington was aimed largely at pressing the US to adopt a tougher approach towards Iran.

The Israeli prime minister wants negotiations with Tehran expanded beyond the nuclear file to include curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its regional military activities. Iran has repeatedly rejected any such widening of the talks.

Trump has continued to apply both diplomatic and military pressure on Tehran. In an interview earlier this week, he warned the US could take “very tough” action if negotiations collapse, and suggested additional American military deployments to the region were possible.

Regional diplomacy has also gathered pace. Reuters reported that Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, with the two leaders discussing ways to ease tensions and support dialogue between Washington and Tehran. Qatar has played a central mediating role, including hosting indirect US-Iran talks in Oman last week.

Trump said his talks with Netanyahu also covered Gaza and wider regional issues, claiming there had been “tremendous progress” in West Asia. “There is truly peace in the Middle East,” he said, without providing further details.