Baba UmarWashington DC — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, having arrived in the US capital to tell the US president to adopt a firmer position in nuclear talks with Iran, with his sixth visit since Trump began his second term sparking protests.
Netanyahu, who has already met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and participated in a signing or formal step to join Trump's Gaza Board of Peace, has been pushing to expand the US-Iran talks beyond just nuclear issues and to include Tehran ballistic missile programme.
"I will present to the president our outlook regarding the principles of these negotiations — the essential principles, which, in my opinion are important not only to Israel, but to everyone around the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East," Netanyahu told media before boarding his flight to US on Tuesday.
The White House meeting on Wednesday remains closed to media, with Netanyahu expected to return to Israel, likely by Thursday. No joint press conference has been announced.
Netanyahu's arrival was less conspicuous than usual. His vehicle entered the White House discreetly, using a side entrance.
Protests near White House
Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered near the White House, stating Netanyahu’s visit is aimed "to incite and convince" Trump that he should attack Iran.
"We are pleading with our president, President Trump, that he should not be misled. He should not be simply conned by Netanyahu because Netanyahu is glib. Netanyahu is a satanic," Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, an American anti-Zionist activist, rabbi, and spokesman for religious group Neturei Karta, told media outside the White House.
"Netanyahu is using the Jewish religion as a weapon in order to use US to attack Iran," Weiss said.
Protesters, branding Netanyahu a war criminal and accusing him of genocide in Gaza, called for accountability and referenced arrest warrant from International Criminal Court.
Iran says it's open to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme if sanctions are lifted, but refuses to connect this to other matters, such as ballistic missiles.
The country’s officials say Tehran would "not yield to excessive demands" regarding its nuclear programme, whilst insisting the country wasn't seeking nuclear weapons.
US and Iranian diplomats engaged in indirect discussions in Oman last week with more rounds to follow, amidst a US naval build-up in the region, posing a threat to Iran.
Prior to discussions with Netanyahu, Trump hinted at potentially deploying a second carrier strike group to the area.
"Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time," Trump told US news site Axios. "We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going."
