Netanyahu Urges Trump to Take Harder Line on Iran Ahead of Nuclear Talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to push US President Donald Trump on Wednesday to adopt a tougher stance in nuclear negotiations with Iran, after rushing to Washington to strengthen the president’s resolve.

The hastily arranged White House meeting is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. (1600 GMT). On the eve of the meeting, Trump indicated he was considering sending a second US "armada" to the Middle East to pressure Tehran into reaching a nuclear agreement.

Netanyahu, on his sixth visit to the United States since Trump took office, is expected to urge the president to also take a firmer approach toward Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Tehran, which resumed talks with Washington last week in Oman, warned on Monday of potential "destructive influences" on diplomatic efforts ahead of the Israeli premier’s visit.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that the country would "not yield to excessive demands" on its nuclear program but emphasized that Iran is not seeking to acquire atomic weapons. "We are not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. We have stated this repeatedly and are ready for any verification," he said.

Netanyahu had originally been expected to visit Washington for a February 19 meeting of Trump’s “Board of Peace” on Gaza, but reportedly advanced his trip as the US-Iran negotiations progressed.