US President Donald Trump said his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday did not yield a final decision on Iran, noting that talks with Tehran are continuing in pursuit of an agreement on its nuclear program, as Washington prepares a second aircraft carrier for deployment to the Middle East.
Washington began talks with Tehran on Friday, Feb. 6, in Oman to explore the chances of reaching an agreement to ease tensions amid US and Israeli threats of a “far worse” strike on Iran if it insists on pressing ahead with its nuclear program, alongside the deployment of significant US forces to the region.
Against that backdrop, Netanyahu visited Washington this week and met Trump on Wednesday, Feb. 11, amid expectations that the Israeli leader would press the US president to increase pressure and escalation against Iran by imposing limits on its missile arsenal and nuclear program.
According to Trump’s remarks after the three-hour meeting, the US president did not appear to commit to responding to such pressure, and he left wider space for diplomacy and the ongoing negotiations to explore an agreement, particularly as Tehran insists its missile capabilities are “non-negotiable.”
Trump and Netanyahu’s meeting was their seventh since Trump returned to the presidency about 13 months ago, but Reuters said it was more muted than usual, and there was no meeting with reporters.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference.”
Trump renewed his warning about the consequences of failing to reach an agreement, saying, if that is not possible, “we will just have to see what the outcome will be,” pointing to the US strikes Washington carried out in June 2025 during the 12-day war that took place between Israel and Iran.
Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister stressed Israel’s security needs during the meeting, and that he and Trump agreed to continue close coordination and communication.
Israeli concerns center on the possibility that any limited US-Iran nuclear agreement might not include the missile program or Tehran’s support for allied armed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which Israel sees as a threat to its security.
Trump’s comments that “no definitive decisions” were made during the meeting came as the US Defense Department is preparing a second aircraft carrier strike group for deployment to the Middle East in preparation for a potential attack on Iran.
Trump is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the region if he senses talks with Iran are failing, and he may issue the deployment order within hours.
Trump said Gaza was also among the issues discussed, as the US president seeks to move forward with a ceasefire agreement and a reconstruction plan for the enclave, despite ongoing disagreements over Hamas’ disarmament and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The “Board of Peace” that Trump formed last month is set to convene in Washington next week to raise funds and discuss details of the Gaza reconstruction plan prepared by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose first phases begin in Rafah, which is under Israeli military control.
