Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making an urgent trip to Washington as President Trump conducts what officials describe as productive negotiations with Iran over nuclear restrictions, raising concerns in Israel about a potential new deal.

High-Stakes Diplomatic Meeting

The meeting comes as Trump hosts discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner joined the talks, along with the top US military commander for the Middle East region. Netanyahu originally planned to attend Trump’s Board of Peace meeting on February 19th, but accelerated his visit amid growing concerns about emerging US-Iran agreements.

Netanyahu previously claimed credit for convincing Trump to withdraw from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Israeli politics expert Guy Ziv from American University notes that Netanyahu fears Trump might support a new agreement with Iran. The Israeli leader wants any deal to include restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program, which was excluded from the original nuclear agreement.

Election Year Calculations

The timing carries domestic political significance for Netanyahu, who faces elections in October. Appearing alongside the popular US president could boost his standing with Israeli voters. Netanyahu also sought to avoid sharing the stage with regional adversaries, including Turkey’s Erdogan and Palestinian Authority leader Abbas, at the latter Board of Peace gathering.

Regional Security Concerns

The diplomatic push follows a destructive 12-day conflict last June that killed over 1,100 Iranians and saw unprecedented US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Analysts warn that Israeli demands for zero uranium enrichment and missile restrictions could derail negotiations, as Iran views its missile capabilities as essential deterrence against Israeli military action. Despite the Gaza ceasefire announced in October, violence continues, with 581 Palestinian deaths reported since the agreement.