U.S. President Donald Trump met yesterday with Israeli Minister Ron Dermer at the White House. According to a report published last night (Thursday into Friday) on the “Axios” website, the two discussed major issues related to nuclear negotiations with Iran and military developments in Gaza. The meeting was not announced in advance by either the American or Israeli governments and came just ahead of the fourth round of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran, scheduled to take place on Sunday in Muscat.
Trump Surprised Israel
Dermer’s meeting occurred just before Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East, which will begin on Monday. During the trip, Trump is expected to meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, but he is not expected to visit Israel.
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Just last week, Trump caught Israel off guard by announcing a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen without first informing Prime Minister Netanyahu. Moreover, the Houthis did not commit in the agreement to stop firing at Israel. Reuters also reported yesterday that the U.S. president will allow Saudi Arabia to build a civilian nuclear reactor without conditioning it on a peace agreement with Israel.
A Rare Meeting
The White House meeting is seen as highly unusual, since U.S. presidents typically do not meet with foreign officials who are not heads of state. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the meeting and stated that it was a private discussion.
On Wednesday, the day before his meeting with Trump, Dermer met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and conveyed Israel’s concerns about the U.S. approach to the nuclear issue. The following day, on Thursday, several meetings took place at the White House with the participation of Vice President Mike Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, and White House envoy Steve Witkoff.
