Trump presses on with Iran — vows talks will continue after “very good” meeting with Netanyahu

Donald Trump met privately with Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday in a meeting the president called “very good,” and emerged determined that diplomacy with Iran must continue — for now. After nearly three hours behind closed doors, Mr. Trump told supporters and the press that “there was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue,” and that striking a deal remains his preference — but not at any cost.

For conservatives who warned that weak deals and naïve diplomacy hand our enemies leverage, Trump’s message was both blunt and presidential: pursue a deal if it eliminates Iran’s ability to arm itself with nuclear weapons and long-range missiles; if not, America must be ready to act. He repeated the hard line he’s taken publicly — a deal must mean “no nuclear weapons, no missiles” — while reassuring Israel that Washington will coordinate closely on Israel’s security needs.

Netanyahu, who came to Washington to press for tougher limits on Iran’s missile program and its backing of militant proxies, left with a clear signal that the U.S. intends to keep all options on the table. Israeli officials emphasized that any talks must address Tehran’s ballistic-missile buildup and sponsorship of groups like Hezbollah and Hamas — topics Netanyahu has repeatedly warned cannot be ignored. The two leaders agreed to continue close coordination as indirect talks with Iran proceed.

Critics on the left will howl that Trump is soft for even entertaining negotiations. But the pragmatic case for diplomacy is simple: it buys time, gathers intelligence, and — if negotiators hold firm — can constrain Tehran without immediate military escalation. Trump made clear, however, that diplomacy is not a blank check; if Iran refuses meaningful limits, the president warned, “we will just have to see what the outcome will be.” That, in plain language, keeps deterrence alive.

This administration has shown it can combine pressure with purpose. In recent months the U.S. and Israel have ramped up efforts to degrade Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and to rally regional partners. Now Trump is balancing those hard-power moves with a clear diplomatic line: give peace a chance, but never at the cost of Israel’s survival or American credibility. For voters and allies who prize strength first, the message is reassuring — a president who prefers a negotiated, enforceable outcome, but who backstops diplomacy with unmistakable resolve.

As talks continue in Oman and elsewhere, the months ahead will be a test of whether Tehran truly chooses restraint or cynically exploits negotiations to buy time. For conservatives who put national security above empty platitudes, Wednesday’s meeting read like a promise: the United States will lead, it will listen to its closest democratic ally in the region, and it will act if diplomacy fails. The world — and the safety of Israel and America — depends on it.