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AMMAN — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has moved up his visit to Washington and is expected to meet with President Trump on Wednesday to discuss the negotiations with Iran, Axios said, quoting statement from the prime minister's office.
The announcement of the urgent visit came a day after Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations in Oman with Iran's foreign minister over a potential nuclear deal.
Trump said the US and Iran had "very good talks" in Oman on Friday and claimed the Iranian position is more favorable regarding a nuclear deal than it was before the 12-day war last June.
Netanyahu's statement hinted the prime minister is concerned the U.S. might pursue a narrow nuclear deal with Iran that will not address other Israeli concerns and wants to try and influence the president.
The prime minister's office said in a statement that Netanyahu "believes that any negotiations must include limits on Iran's ballistic missiles and an end to support for the Iranian axis."
A White House official told Axios it was Netanyahu who asked Friday to move up his visit by a week and meet Trump this coming Wednesday.
Netanyahu's early arrival to Washington will also allow him to skip the Gaza Board of Peace leaders meeting planned for February 19, an event that would be politically explosive for Netanyahu domestically.
Kushner and Witkoff visited on Saturday aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is deployed in the Arabian Sea not far from Iran's shores, according to Axios.
Witkoff and Kushner visited the USS Lincoln together with the commander of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, who also participated in the negotiations with Iran on Friday.
The USS Lincoln and the ships in its strike group would be the spearhead of any US military action against Iran.
A source familiar with the details told Axios that the visit was intended to send a message to Iran that Trump has other options if the negotiations fail.
