‘They seek enrichment’ – Netanyahu & Trump talk fruitless Iran nuclear negotiations

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke off his court testimony to talk on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday evening, before convening a high-level security assessment concerning the ongoing nuclear talks with the Iranian regime.

“President Trump told the Prime Minister that the US conveyed a reasonable proposal to Iran and is due to receive an answer in the coming days,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated after the meeting.

“The American President updated the Prime Minister that he intends to hold an additional round of talks with Iran over the weekend.”

There was no further comment on the contents of the talks from the Israeli side. President Trump told reporters afterward that the talk with Netanyahu went well, and that the U.S. wants a deal “so that there’s no destruction and death,” adding that the Iranians are “tough negotiators.”

“They’re just asking for things that you can’t do,” Trump said, highlighting the regime’s insistence on keeping its capabilities to enrich uranium, which Trump has repeatedly said would have to be dismantled.

“They don’t want to give up what they have to give up. You know what that is: They seek enrichment.”

“They have given us their thoughts on the deal, and I said it’s just not acceptable,” he said.

The Iranians are still expected to issue an official response to the latest American deal proposal. “So far, they're not there. I hate to say that, because the alternative is a very, very dire one,” Trump added.

Israel's Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, explained on Tuesday morning that Israel respects the U.S. effort to negotiate, but “we don't believe Iran. We'll give it some more time, but we think it has no chance.”

After a recent phone call between Netanyahu and Trump reportedly became heated as Trump demanded Israel not to attack Iran before the negotiations had played themselves out, the news outlet Axios said that Netanyahu has since assured Trump that he would wait until then to pursue military options against the regime.

Axios cited a senior White House official saying that, despite being expected to respond negatively, Iran will want to continue the negotiations. “We sent the Iranians a very tough proposal, and we expect that they will give a harsh response,” the official said.

A sixth round of talks between Iran and the U.S. is reportedly set to take place in Muscat, Oman, this Sunday.

Before the next meeting, Netanyahu reportedly instructed Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad chief David Barnea to meet with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, Channel 13 reported.

The phone call from Trump apparently came as a surprise to Netanyahu, who stopped testifying in his corruption trial ahead of schedule on Monday to return to his office for the call.

According to Axios, Trump wanted to talk with Netanyahu before heading to Camp David for a strategy session with senior foreign policy officials in the administration, which focused on Middle East strategy.

A senior U.S. official told the outlet that Trump sees the Iran nuclear issue and the Gaza War, in both of which the U.S. policy has seen setbacks recently, as being connected.

The strategy sessions reportedly included the president, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and other senior officials.

“The retreat allowed all the senior people in the administration to sit together for a long time and discuss these issues,” a U.S. official told Axios.

After talking with Trump, Netanyahu reportedly convened his own high-level meeting, which was attended by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and Shas leader Aryeh Deri.