Iran dominated the agenda Wednesday at the White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with both leaders signaling that diplomacy with Tehran remains uncertain and that coordination will continue if talks fail.
In a post on Truth Social after the meeting, Trump said he was pushing for negotiations to continue but left other options open.
“Nothing definitive was achieved other than my insistence that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal could be made. If that is possible, I have informed the Prime Minister that that will be a preference. If not, we will just have to see what the outcome will be… Last time Iran decided they were better off not making a deal, and they got hit with Midnight Hammer – that didn’t work out well for them.”
Netanyahu’s office said the leaders discussed Iran, Gaza and broader regional developments and agreed to maintain close coordination, adding that the prime minister emphasized Israel’s security needs in the context of the negotiations.
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President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House, February 11, 2025. (Avi Ohayun/GPO)
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu formally joined the US-backed Council of Peace, signing off on the initiative ahead of the meeting after weeks of hesitation. The move places Israel within a forum that includes Western partners, as well as Turkey and Qatar, whose involvement in Gaza has drawn criticism in Jerusalem.
Experts say the decision reflects strategic calculations related to both Gaza and Iran.
Dr. Dan Diker, chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, said Netanyahu’s participation is directly related to working with Washington and shaping post-war arrangements in Gaza.
“It is in Israel’s interest that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu join the Peace Council. He needs a seat at that table, even alongside hostile powers such as Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated countries Qatar and Turkey. Netanyahu’s membership of the Peace Council is a key element in his work with President Trump to help implement the 20-point plan, with deradicalization, disarmament of Hamas and demilitarization as the first three non-negotiable actions.”
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a document after their meeting in Washington, February 11, 2026. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Diker said the decision is also related to Iran. “A more strategic reason that Netanyahu’s membership in the Peace Council is important is that it represents an element of cooperation to counter the Iranian regime. Netanyahu is likely counting on action against the Iranian regime from the Iranian people themselves and from the United States in the coming weeks. In return, Netanyahu will continue to cooperate in implementing the 20-point plan in Gaza, as part of a quid pro quo.”
Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, described Israel’s move as a pragmatic choice shaped by the incomplete implementation of the Gaza deal and the broader regional threat environment.
“The implementation of the peace agreement in Gaza leaves much to be desired. Despite being given 72 hours to release all hostages, Hamas has taken more than 100 days to do so; Hamas has still not disarmed; there is neither an International Stabilization Force nor any country seizing the opportunity to join it; and the Peace Council consists of countries that have shown themselves to be enemies of peace with Israel.”
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President Donald Trump holds up his signature on the founding statute during a signing ceremony for the Peace Council in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He said Israel ultimately chose engagement over isolation. “Continuing with the deal – including joining the Peace Council – is Israel’s least worst option. Israel has a better chance of countering or balancing Turkish and Qatari influence on the Peace Council by being in the room with them, rather than outside it.”
Misztal also linked the timing to Iran. “Now that the United States has a real opportunity to disarm or even overthrow the Iranian regime, and there is a risk that Tehran could still lash out at Israel, there is no interest in doing anything that would risk restarting the war in Gaza.”


