Trump, Netanyahu end lengthy White House meeting without Iran agreement for now

President Donald J. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged from a closed-door White House meeting with no new joint plan on Iran, the president said, leaving diplomacy and deterrence in a tense balance as both sides prepare for further negotiations.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that “there was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.” He added, “If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be… Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer, That did not work well for them.” The post was widely reported across U.S. and international outlets after the hours-long meeting.

The session, which several outlets described as lasting about two and a half to three hours, took place behind closed doors. Ynetnews reported the meeting was held in the White House Cabinet Room rather than the Oval Office and called the nearly three-hour discussion “longer than expected,” while Deutsche Welle and The Arab Weekly described it as “more than two and a half hours.” Fox News cited an unnamed Bessent as saying the leaders had “very detailed talks.” The Cyprus-Mail and other outlets described the visit as more muted than usual and closed to the press.

Iran and the future of its nuclear and missile programs dominated the agenda, according to reporting. Trump told Fox Business, as reported by Ynetnews, that a good deal would mean “no nuclear weapons, no missiles.” Reuters quoted Trump saying, “We took out their nuclear power last time, and we'll have to see if we take out more this time,” language that underscored the continued threat of military action if diplomacy fails.

Netanyahu pressed the United States to account for Israel’s security needs and to press for limits not only on Tehran’s nuclear program but also on ballistic missiles and proxy forces. The Arab Weekly reported that Netanyahu sought to widen negotiations beyond the nuclear issue but “offered no sign that the president made the commitments he sought.” Tehran, for its part, has signaled willingness to discuss nuclear limits for sanctions relief while refusing to negotiate over missiles; Reuters and other agencies reported Iranian foreign ministry officials, including Abbas Araghchi, described missile talks as “non-negotiable.”

The meeting unfolded against the backdrop of recent diplomacy and a growing U.S. military posture in the region. Reports said nuclear talks were held in Oman the prior Friday and were described as positive by participants. U.S. officials and Ynetnews named the USS George H.W. Bush, USS George Washington and USS Gerald R. Ford as possible carrier options for the region and said an additional carrier could arrive “within two weeks.” Trump was reported to be considering dispatching additional carriers and even a second carrier strike group, according to interviews cited by Axios.

Domestic U.S. commentary framed the encounter as a pivotal moment. Fox News headlines emphasized hawkish voices, including a retired general urging military action and calls from figures like Nikki Haley to make Iran policy a “legacy-defining moment.” A Fox News photo caption accompanying its coverage read, exactly as presented by the outlet, “President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting at the White House Feb 11, 2025. (Avi Ohayun/ GPO).” Fox News also included a separate photo caption noting Abbas Araghchi: “Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, waits for the arrival of his Qatari counterpart before their meeting in Tehran Aug. 26, 2024. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images).”

With no public commitments recorded, U.S. and Israeli officials deferred to upcoming negotiations and military readiness as tools of leverage. A Reuters/AFP/AP dispatch by Shakeel Sobhan dated February 12, 2026, summarized the encounter as ending “without Iran agreement,” and left open whether diplomacy will avert a dangerous escalation in a region braced for further talks and possible confrontation.