What is Netanyahu looking for in Washington?
Trump’s remarks have coincided with the second short trip of Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington — a trip which has taken place amidst a wave of verbal threats and U.S. military moves in the region, and it cannot be considered an accidental or insignificant incident.
The new trip, especially in such a short time frame after Netanyahu's previous meeting with American senior officials, carries a clear message: the Israeli party is still seeking to create obstacles on the path of any probable agreement between Iran and the U.S. and is trying to keep the military option alive in the minds of American decision-makers.
Analysts believe that the trip may be in line with a new design for increasing pressure on Tehran — pressure that will drive Iran into direct talks, but from a position of weakness. Particularly as Trump has claimed that “Iran worries and feels vulnerability.”
A sentence that is more of a psychological tactic to force the other party to accept one-sided conditions than a sign of readiness for talks.
Tehran’s position; counter move
But Tehran’s silence in response to these claims must be considered a sign of neither approval nor doubt. Indeed, the silence is part of a precise strategy against the political and threatening propaganda of the U.S.
Ali Larijani, the advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has announced in recent days that Iran still adheres to its peaceful program and, from the beginning, has welcomed talks to remove the West’s concerns. But any threat or pressure can lead to a change in Iran’s strategic calculations.
Larijani has also emphasized that Iran is interested in redefining its economic relations with the West and the U.S. based on joint interests and within the framework of sustainable interaction.
The remarks, in fact, draw Iran’s official position regarding the new conditions and show that Tehran, while ready for talks, will not yield to threatening pressures.
Disparity in Trump’s camp
Signs of internal conflict in Trump’s camp are seen in another part of the story. Some figures close to the U.S. president, including Tucker Carlson, have clearly opposed a military attack on Iran.
In a talk between Carlson and Witkoff, Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Witkoff explicitly showed that there is readiness for dialogue with Tehran from within the U.S. administration.
Although Witkoff, in response to a tweet by Seyed Abbas Araqchi which said “There is no military solution for the crisis,” wrote “Great!”, the message was swiftly deleted.
However, all reactions show that the message of opposition to war has reached Tehran from Washington.
Arab countries of the region do not want war
Meanwhile, the role of Persian Gulf Arab states cannot be ignored. Unlike the last round of nuclear negotiations during Obama’s term, this time some Arab countries seem to be demanding containment of tensions and prevention of renewed conflict in the region.
They know that an attack on Iran will have unpredictable economic and security implications for the region.
Increasing tension, Netanyahu’s lifespan
Under these conditions, Netanyahu’s repeated trips to the U.S. and attempts to push Trump toward military options may intensify the crisis rather than help solve it.
Analysts think that not only will Israel not benefit from a U.S.-Iran conflict, but it also sees its strategic survival in the continuation of regional instability.
Therefore, what is happening today in Washington is not an honest attempt to advance negotiations but a stage for a compact political power game — a game in which Iran, while ready for talks, is not ready to fall victim to deceitful propaganda and foreign interference.
NOURNEWS