Netanyahu wants to escalate tensions with Iran, but Trump insists on continuing negotiations.

WashingtonWashington's de-escalation with Tehran, after Trump has given diplomacy a chance with the ayatollahs' regimeThis has precipitated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House. The leader, who was originally scheduled to travel to the United States next week for the first meeting of the Gaza Peace Council, has moved up his trip to meet with Donald Trump this Wednesday. Netanyahu's haste comes amid progress in talks between the ayatollahs and the Americans, which appear to have eased tensions surrounding a possible attack by the naval fleet the Pentagon has deployed in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump maintains that the dialogue with Iran is going "very well" and that this time the situation is "completely different" from last year, which culminated in the 12-day war last June. But Netanyahu remains skeptical about the negotiations and wants to bring military options back to the table in the Oval Office.

What would have put Netanyahu on alert is the possibility that Trump might be willing to accept a deal focused solely on the nuclear issue and leaving out other matters such as the ballistic missile program. "Yes, it would be acceptable, but one thing must be very clear from the outset: no nuclear weapons," the Republican told reporters from Air Force One this weekend. Initially, eliminating the ayatollahs' ability to develop such missiles was a priority for both Washington and Tehran. But now it seems Trump is willing to postpone it, while for Netanyahu this is a red line.

An Israeli government source explained to Jerusalem Post Israeli officials have repeatedly warned the Americans that Iran's ballistic missile program poses an existential threat to Tel Aviv. "We told the Americans that we would bomb alone if Iran crosses the red line we have established on ballistic missiles," said the same source, who also assured the media outlet that this scenario has not yet occurred, but that they are monitoring the situation in Iran. Iran has already insisted that it is only willing to discuss the nuclear program, which excludes many of Israel's demands. Netanyahu has been pressuring Trump to ensure that any agreement with Iran includes Tehran relinquishing its stockpile of enriched uranium, completely halting enrichment, setting limits on its ballistic missile program, and ending support for allies. Regional.

At a rally this Wednesday in Tehran to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, President Masoud Pezeshkian said: "Iran will not yield to aggression, but we maintain dialogue to strengthen relations with neighboring countries to establish peace and tranquility."

Behind closed doors

Unlike previous occasions, where Trump always received Netanyahu in front of the cameras, this seventh visit was a closed-door meeting. Only a few photographs have been released by the communications team, but there has been no subsequent press conference to address the issues discussed. This is yet another sign of the urgency of the meeting and the prospect that the interests of Washington and Tel Aviv, this time, do not appear to be aligned.

In June of last year, Israel precipitated Trump's involvement in the 12-day war by launching a wave of attacks against the ayatollahs. Ultimately, Washington ended up bombing Iranian nuclear facilities, risking drawing the country into a regional war.

Before heading to the White House, Netanyahu signed his accession to the Peace Board created by TrumpThe Israeli president made the announcement at Blair House, the official residence where he is staying, during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The organization, which the US president created to lead the reconstruction of Gaza, threatens to challenge the authority of the United Nations as a forum for resolving global conflicts, since Trump wants it to also serve as an institution for resolving other wars. Trump is the chairman for life of the Board, and in addition to Israel, several countries, such as Argentina and Hungary, have also joined.

Just as with the siege of Venezuela, the deployment of the military fleet surrounding Iran cannot return home empty-handed. In the case of Caracas, the escalation of pressure culminated in the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro. In the case of Tehran, the possibilities range from an agreement to a possible attack, and Netanyahu wants to push Trump toward the latter. The question is whether the Israeli will actually manage to convince the Republican, and whether the target will be the ayatollahs' ballistic missile capabilities or nuclear facilities, as happened in June.

The other question is what Trump might demand in exchange for getting entangled in another military attack on Iran. Reopening the Rafah crossing and making progress on the ceasefire in Gaza would be one option. He could also ask Tel Aviv to abandon its claims to the West Bank, after the Israeli government has moved forward with annexation. de facto of the region. In an interview with Axios this Tuesday, Trump reiterated his opposition to Israel annexing the West Bank. The other possibility is that he will ask Netanyahu to ease pressure on southern Lebanon or Syria, where Israel also continues to occupy territory.

The meeting, which is the seventh since the Republican returned to power, comes after high-level meetings in recent weeks. The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, and the head of the Intelligence Division, Major General Shlomi Binder, visited the Pentagon in Washington last month, while presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Jetanemahu and Netanyahu the following week.