THE US is to hold direct talks with Iran to push through a nuclear deal, amid fears the Ayatollah is building up a deadly stock of nukes.
Presidents Trump admitted the tension has hit “dangerous territory” as he announced the last-ditch diplomatic effort alongside Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office.
Trump said: “We're having direct talks with Iran. Everyone agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious.
“The obvious is not something I want to be involved with, or that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it.”
Netanyahu visited the White House on Monday, becoming the first world leader to do so since the introduction of Trump's sweeping global tariffs.
A scheduled joint press conference with Trump ab was abruptly scrapped but the two leaders still held a meeting in the Oval Office – with Iran at the top of the agenda.
The White House claimed the decision to cancel the 7.30pm media event was to avoid “two back-to-back media availabilities”; — instead promising “one big, beautiful news conference”; inside the Oval Office.
But only a small, select group of reporters — the so-called press pool — will be allowed to attend.
Netanyahu will be the first world leader to appear at the White House since Trump's sweeping tariffs announcement last week.
An Israeli senior official familiar with the details of the meeting said: “Netanyahu supports a deal that will lead to the complete dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program. As was the case with Libya.”;
The official added that Netanyahu will present Trump with his vision of “what a good deal with Iran should look like.”;
The visit comes after a surprise invite from Trump, who called Netanyahu during a trilateral phone chat with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over the weekend.
While Netanyahu had been wrapping up a visit to Budapest, Trump insisted on an urgent Monday meeting, forcing the Israeli leader to fly straight to DC.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office outlined the hefty agenda: “Tariffs, efforts to release our hostages held in Gaza, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat and the battle against the International Criminal Court in The Hague.”;
The Israeli PM’s office also highlighted the “personal and warm relationship”; between the two leaders and expressed gratitude for the meeting invite — just days after Trump slapped a 17% tariff on Israeli imports, stunning Jerusalem.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had only just announced Israel was scrapping tariffs on US goods — hoping to curry favour and dodge the blow. But the gamble failed.
“We knew that this was going to happen, but we are surprised about the scope of the tariff,”; said Finance Ministry Chief Economist Shmuel Abramzon.
The US is Israel’s largest trading partner, with exports worth over $22 billion last year.
Now, officials are scrambling to negotiate a rollback of the shock duties.
Beyond trade, tensions with Iran are hitting boiling point.
Just weeks ago, Trump issued a chilling warning: “If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”;
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has defiantly refused to engage in direct negotiations — triggering fury in Washington.
In a fiery response, Khamenei vowed: “If they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow.”;
Iran has placed its military on full alert, preparing for what state-aligned media claims could be a “devastating”; US-Israeli strike.
Tehran also warned neighbouring countries against aiding any attack, threatening “severe consequences.”;
Meanwhile, the US is flexing its muscles, reportedly positioning B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia island — well within strike range of Iran.
The already explosive backdrop is further intensified by fresh US intelligence on Iranian threats to assassinate Trump — a plot allegedly linked to revenge for the 2020 drone strike on IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani.
Trump has warned: “I’ve left instructions — if they do it, they get obliterated, there won’t be anything left.”;
Back in Gaza, Netanyahu is also under intense domestic pressure. After a ceasefire collapsed, 59 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas captivity.
Thousands protested across Israel this weekend demanding action. But Netanyahu has refused to halt the war during talks, declaring Hamas must be defeated first.
On the Turkey front, tensions are also flaring.
Israeli airstrikes in Syria have sparked warnings from Ankara, which is preparing to deploy forces near key military zones.
Turkey insists it seeks no conflict, but says repeated Israeli strikes are “weakening”; Syria’s stability.
In the background, the US has quietly beefed up Israel’s defences — delivering a second THAAD missile battery, alongside two Patriot systems.
As the Oval Office doors close, Netanyahu is expected to push for a hard line on Tehran and walk away with stronger support — or at least, fewer tariffs.
But with the region on edge and war clouds gathering, Monday's meeting may do more to escalate than de-escalate.
