Overview
- President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday for their first face-to-face talks since the joint campaign against Iran began, and the White House called the meeting “productive and good.”
- In remarks before the meeting Trump publicly rebuked Netanyahu for discussing Israeli intelligence in public, said he is pursuing diplomacy for now, and warned he could order strikes on Pickaxe Mountain and other Iranian targets if talks fail.
- Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said Israel wants to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure but that the United States does not approve such attacks because they would risk wider regional damage and global oil disruption.
- Market and prediction-market pricing show falling confidence that a comprehensive U.S.-Iran deal will be reached as military tensions rise and leaders signal different priorities for ending the conflict.
- The visit highlights disputed claims about activity at Pickaxe Mountain and differing operational priorities, with U.S. officials saying they are monitoring the site by satellite while urging restraint to protect neighboring countries and global energy supplies.