Trump discusses Iran nuclear talks with Netanyahu: "Prefer a deal but not ruling out military option"

According to Financial News, President Donald Trump of the United States, who is engaged in nuclear negotiations with Iran, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 11th local time to discuss the direction of the talks.
After holding a closed-door meeting with Netanyahu at the White House that day, President Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social that it had been "a very good meeting."
Trump stated that he had insisted on continuing negotiations with Iran and that nothing else had been finalized. He added that he told the prime minister, "If a deal is possible, that is what I would prefer."
At the same time, he cautioned that "if we cannot reach an agreement, we will have to see what happens," reaffirming that he is not excluding military options. Referring to the past instance when Iran rejected a deal and US forces carried out "Operation Midnight Hammer" to strike three nuclear facilities, he warned, "That was not good for Iran."
"Operation Midnight Hammer" was the codename for a surprise airstrike by US forces on Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year.
The United States is currently increasing pressure on Iran, demanding that it abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons. It has also reinforced its military presence in the Middle East, including deploying an aircraft carrier strike group.
Israel wants Washington to push for tougher terms in the negotiations. Its position is that the deal must include a halt to uranium enrichment, a 300-kilometer range cap on ballistic missiles, and an end to support for pro-Iranian armed groups in the Middle East.
Iran, on the other hand, insists that only its nuclear program and sanctions relief can be discussed and maintains that it cannot accept giving up its right to enrich uranium.
The meeting is also reported to have covered the implementation of the Gaza Strip cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Trump wants to move quickly to the next phase of the deal, including reconstruction in Gaza, while Israel maintains that disarming Hamas must come first.
Trump said they discussed "tremendous progress in Gaza and across the region."
#Trump #IranNuclearTalks #Netanyahu #Israel #GazaStrip #MiddleEastTensions #MilitaryOption

km@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Kyung-min Reporter