US President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, saying Tehran had previously chosen not to reach a deal and was then hit by the ‘midnight hammer’, adding that he hoped Iran would act more rationally and responsibly this time.
The term ‘Midnight Hammer’ refers to the American military operation in Iran, when three installations in the country were attacked on June 21 last year. (Bloomberg/AFP)In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said the two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza and other regional developments in addition to talks with Iran. It said they “agreed to continue their close coordination and relationship.”
Also Read | The US House has voted to end Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, the Senate’s next voteTrump said he told Netanyahu he plans to move forward with talks with Iran. He also said he would prefer to reach an agreement with the Islamic Republic despite the visiting leader’s concerns, describing their interaction as a “very good meeting”.
Trump’s ‘Midnight Hammer’ warning to IranIn a post on Truth Social, the US president said he had pressed Netanyahu to allow talks with Iran to determine whether a deal could be finalized. He added that he hoped Iran would agree this time, recalling that during the previous instance they were “struck with the midnight hammer”.
Notably, ‘Midnight Hammer’ is the term for the American military operation in Iran, when three installations in the country were attacked on June 21 last year.
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“I just finished a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his various representatives. It was a very good meeting, the excellent relations between our two countries continue. I insisted to see if the talks with Iran can continue,” he wrote in the post.
He added, “If it can be done, I have informed the Prime Minister that it will be a priority. If not, we will have to see what the outcome will be. Last time Iran decided that it was better not to make a deal, and they hit with the midnight hammer – it did not work well for them. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible. In addition, we discussed there in general and discussed with GA. Thank you for your attention on this issue. Really peace in the Middle East!
Trump-Netanyahu meetingWednesday’s meeting was their seventh in Trump’s second term. It comes as both the US and Iran expressed optimism after indirect talks in Oman on Friday on how to renegotiate Iran’s nuclear program.
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Trump has previously hinted at the possibility of US military action against Iran following Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protesters. Meanwhile, Washington and Tehran resumed talks last week through a meeting in Oman.
In his post, Trump also said that he and Netanyahu “also discussed extensive progress in Gaza and the region in general.”
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