Netanyahu: Conditions created by the US may allow for a “good deal” with Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Thursday that the conditions created by US President Donald Trump could allow for a “good deal with Iran.” However, he added that he expressed “general skepticism” about the agreements with Tehran.

Netanyahu, who met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday, issued a statement before returning from the US to Israel.

“The President (Trump) believes that the Iranians have already figured out who they are dealing with (…). I think that the conditions he has created, combined with the fact that they certainly understand that they made a mistake not reaching an agreement last time, may allow for a good deal,” the prime minister's statement said.

Netanyahu added that he has a “very close, very authentic and very open relationship” with Trump, and talks with the president focused on many issues, but primarily on negotiations with Iran.

He emphasized that Trump wanted to listen to his opinion and added that during the meeting he informed him of his skeptical attitude towards the chances of concluding an agreement with Iran.

Netanyahu stressed that if it was signed, it would have to solve problems that are particularly important for Israel, such as the Iranian nuclear program, the construction of ballistic missiles, or Tehran's support for terrorist organizations that are its regional allies.

The Israeli prime minister arrived at the White House on Wednesday for his eighth meeting with Trump since the beginning of his second term; However, he was not welcomed by the president in the presence of cameras, and the talks took place behind closed doors.

After the White House meeting, Trump said he had insisted that negotiations with Iran over the nuclear deal would continue, but admitted that ultimately “nothing had been agreed upon.” (PAP)

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