Shafaq News- Washington
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to increase economic pressure on Iran, Axios reported on Saturday, noting that the move is intended to push Tehran toward concessions on its nuclear program.
Citing US officials, the newspaper reported that Washington plans to apply maximum pressure on Iran while maintaining military readiness in the Middle East.
During their February 11 meeting, Trump and Netanyahu also aligned on the principle that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is the ultimate goal. They diverged, however, on the approach to achieve it. Netanyahu warned that Iran would not honor any agreement, while Trump remained cautiously optimistic. “We’ll see if that’s possible. Let’s try,” he added.
Iran is preparing for a second nuclear meeting with the US in Geneva, building on the February 6 indirect talks in Muscat, which both sides described as a constructive start despite persisting differences. Tehran maintains that negotiations should focus exclusively on its nuclear program and rejects limits on its missile capabilities, whereas the Trump administration is pressing for broader concessions, including halting enrichment and ending support for regional allies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis (Ansarallah), and armed groups in Iraq.
Citing Iranian journalist Ali Gholhaki, Axios previously noted that US proposals may have included suspending uranium enrichment for three to five years and removing 450 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from Iran, a suggestion Iranian officials reportedly rejected. A US official denied that such an offer was presented.
The report also indicated that the US military is preparing for the possibility of sustained operations against Iran that could last weeks if Trump orders a strike. The US President confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group will join the USS Abraham Lincoln, already positioned near the Strait of Hormuz, reinforcing the American presence in the region.
Read more: US-Iran Muscat talks: A diplomatic opening shadowed by red lines