US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff Meets Netanyahu as Trump Says US & Iran are Negotiating
ISRAEL – The US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, for talks on Iran.
The meeting was also attended by the heads of Israel’s security agencies, Netanyahu’s office told The Times of Israel news portal.
It was held shortly after Witkoff arrived in Israel for talks with senior officials there on the Iranian issue and the implementation of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.
Later, Netanyahu’s office said the meeting between Netanyahu and Witkoff had concluded.
It added that the prime minister stressed his “uncompromising demand for the disarmament of (the Palestinian group) Hamas, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and the fulfillment of the war objectives prior to the reconstruction of the Strip.”
“The prime minister clarified that the Palestinian Authority will not be part of the administration of the Gaza Strip in any way,” it said.
Regarding Iran, the statement quoted Netanyahu as telling Witkoff ahead of his expected meeting with a representative of Iran that Tehran “has proven time and again that its promises cannot be relied upon.”
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (KAN) reported that the meeting, which brought together Witkoff, Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Mossad chief David Barnea, lasted for approximately three and a half hours.
Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul, Turkey on Friday for talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
The talks come amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, fueled by an American military buildup in the Persian Gulf and repeated threats of military action by Trump.
In recent days, several countries have stepped in and offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington to ease tensions, with Turkey playing a particularly active role.
Trump Says US’ Negotiating with Iran
The US is negotiating with Iran “right now,” President Donald Trump said Tuesday.
“They are negotiating,” Trump told reporters at the White House, without providing further details.
His remarks came after a US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday after it approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
“They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn’t work out, and we did (Operation) Midnight Hammer. I don’t think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate.
“We are negotiating with them right now,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that preparations are underway to hold talks with the US in the coming days, with consultations ongoing to finalize the venue.
“Planning has been made to hold the talks in the next few days, and consultations are underway to determine the location of the talks, which will be announced as soon as they are finalized,” said spokesperson Esmail Baghaei.
Earlier, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to have conversations with the Iranians later this week.
Axios, however, reported Tuesday that Iran demanded changes to the location and stipulated that Tehran wants to change the format.
Reports suggested that representatives from Turkey, Egypt and Qatar were expected to join the talks, but Axios said Iran is now pushing to hold the talks directly. It also said that Tehran wants to move the location from Istanbul to Oman.
