Netanyahu Seeks Urgent Trump Meeting as Iran Deal Nears Completion

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants an urgent meeting with President Donald Trump after the G7 summit in France, according to an Israeli source cited by CNN, as Israel grows alarmed over a developing US-Iran agreement. Netanyahu is said to want to meet Trump after he returns from the resort town of Evian, where he is expected to see leaders from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern countries. The aim, the source said, is to explain Israel’s position in the negotiations with Iran. The Prime Minister’s Office called the CNN report “fake news.”

The reported request came amid sharp strain between Jerusalem and Washington after recent Israeli strikes in Beirut’s Dahieh district. The Israeli source said Israel is especially worried about preserving its freedom to act against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Iran is pressing for an Israeli withdrawal from the area. Israeli officials also fear the emerging deal could ease economic pressure on Tehran without addressing its nuclear program, potentially strengthening the Iranian regime.

Trump publicly escalated the dispute, attacking Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island after Reed said the deal is worse than the Obama-era nuclear accord. On Truth Social, Trump wrote that Reed “lied,” calling him either “a total fraud or incompetent.” He said Obama’s deal was “a pathway to a nuclear weapon for Iran,” while “our deal is a wall that will prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon,” and he urged Reed’s ouster.

Netanyahu spoke with Trump by phone on Sunday evening before Trump’s post, stepping out of a cabinet meeting in the underground bunker to take the call. Defense Minister Israel Katz also spoke with his counterpart, Pete Hegseth. A diplomatic source told CNN that Qatari mediators were still in Tehran to keep the US-Iran talks on track, in coordination with Washington. The New York Times reported that Qatar has been leading the final-stage negotiations, and a source told ynet that Doha is pressing Iran to sign a memorandum of understanding tonight to prevent escalation. Trump said he expects a signing today, while Iranian state media said Tehran has not yet made a final decision.