What was President Donald Trump’s motive when he requested that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu fly straight to Washington from Budapest, refusing a suggestion to delay the meeting until after Pesach?

On the surface, the meeting was ostensibly about the 17% tariff the Trump administration imposed on Israel, with Netanyahu holding great hopes that he could negotiate a reduction. But Trump surprised Netanyahu, revealing to him the real reason for his urgent summons to Washington: not the tariff but the beginning of direct high-level negotiations between the US and Iran.

Ynet reported that Trump wanted to personally inform Netanyahu about his intention to initiate direct talks with Tehran. The goal was twofold: to give Israel a heads up about the move, and to ensure that it does not try to sabotage the contacts or act militarily against Iran before an agreement is reached.

The report added that Netanyahu was certainly not pleased by Trump’s news of direct talks with Iran. Until now, Tehran has insisted it will not enter into talks with the Trump administration, but it seems that Trump’s threats have paid off and led to a change of position.

Iranian commentator Mehdi Rahmati, who is close to the regime in Tehran, told the New York Times: “Trump has stopped the Israeli plan for a military attack and he is sending a clear message to Iran – he prefers diplomacy and wants to resolve the conflict peacefully.”

Netanyahu was left disappointed, failing to achieve the accomplishments he wanted to reach on the trip. There was no relief from the import tariffs imposed on Israel, and no public or immediate backing was given for Israeli military action against Iranian nuclear facilities.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)