Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States holds direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program.
The president, in comments to reporters after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said talks with Tehran would begin on Saturday. He insisted that Tehran could not get nuclear weapons. Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to visit Trump since he Released tariffs for countries around the world.
Whether Netanyahu’s visit manages to bring down or eliminate Israeli tariffs remains to be seen, but how to play canSet the scene for how other world leadersTry to solve the new tariffs.
Trump welcomes Israeli prime minister with solid handling as he arrives for talks.
Trump ignored the shouted questions from journalists for harsh global markets and whether he would raise Israel’s tariffs.
Shortly before their meeting, the White House announced that Trump and Netanyahu’s plans to hold a joint press conference had been canceled. The White House did not offer an immediate explanation of why it was abolished, but Trump and Netanyahu were expected to comment on journalists at the start of a scheduled oval office.
Netanyahu’s cabinet has focused on his hastily organized visit to Washington on tariffs, while noting that the two leaders will discuss major geopolitical issues, includingThe war in GazaTensions with Iran, Israel-Turkish ties and the International Criminal Court, whichissued an arrest warrant against Israeli leaderlast year. Trump signed in FebruaryExecutive Order Introducing Sanctions on MKSDuring Israeli investigations.
Prior to his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump held a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. All three leaders were key interlocutors in their efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East and end the war in Israel-Hamas.
The engagement was organized by Macron, according to a representative of the French government, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The prime minister arrived shortly after arriving in Washington on Sunday night with senior Trump administration officials, Trade Secretary Howard Lunno and US Trade Representative Jamesimson Grieri to discuss tariffs. Netanyahu also met on Monday with Steve Vitkoff, Trump’s special envoy in the Middle East, before sitting with the president.
Trump and Netanyahu are also expected to discuss the prominent annexation of Israel for parts of the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians love as their heartA future independent state.
Ayan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israel, said he expects Trump to use tariffs as a support to force concessions from Netanyahu.
In the case of Israel, theyConcessions may not be economically. Trump can put pressure on Netanyahu to move to an endThe war in Gaza– At the very least through a temporary truce with Hamas that will pause the fighting and release more hostages.
Gilboa said Trump hopes to return from his first trip abroad – is expected next month in Saudi Arabia – with a certain movement of an agreement to normalize relations with Israel, which is likely to require significant Israeli Gaza concessions.
If he manages to move towards strengthening ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, it would act as a regional diplomatic counterbalance to Iran’s pressure, against whatTrump threatened with new sanctionsand proposed military action on its nuclear program.
In a preventive move last week, Israel said it removed all US tariffs, mostly on imported food and agricultural products, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
The statement does not mention Trump’s upcoming tariffs, which were announced the next day, but said the Israeli step would strengthen ties with its biggest trading partner, the United States. Israel is not a great US trading partner
But the tactic failed, and at the rate of 17%, Israel was only one of dozens of countries that were slapped with tariffs for Trump’s so -called Liberation Day last week.
Although Israel is a small market for US products, the United States is a key trading partner of Israel. Much of that trade is for high-tech services, which are not directly affected by tariffs, but key Israeli industries could be affected.
The Israeli producers’ association estimates that tariffs will cost Israel about $ 3 billion in exports each year and will lead to the loss of 26,000 jobs in industries involving biotechnology, chemicals, plastic and electronics. The World Bank says Israel’s gross domestic product, a measure of economic production, is over $ 500 billion a year.
“The damage will not stop export,” said Ron Tomer, president of the group. “Wille scared investors, encouraging companies to leave Israel and undermine our image as a global center of innovation.” He urged the government to work urgently to protect the economy.
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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