Trump and Netanyahu celebrate 'historic victory' against Iran, eye future Middle East peace
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House on Monday evening to cement a shared message: the U.S.-Israel alliance has reshaped the Middle East – and more is coming.
"We had tremendous success together," Trump said during the public portion of their dinner meeting. "And I think it will only go on to be even greater success in the future."
Netanyahu handed Trump a formal letter he sent to the Nobel Peace Prize committee. "It’s well-deserved," the prime minister said. "You're forging peace as we speak, in one country and one region after the other."
Trump appeared surprised. "Thank you very much," he replied. "Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful."
But behind the symbolism was a serious discussion about Iran, Gaza and what both sides see as an inflection point in regional diplomacy. Trump confirmed that Iran has requested new talks following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on its nuclear and missile infrastructure. "They want to meet. They want to work something out," he said. "They’re very different now than they were two weeks ago."
Netanyahu called the military operation "a historic victory," adding that it "set back the two tumors that were threatening the life of Israel – the nuclear tumor and the ballistic missile tumor." But, he warned, "just like a tumor, it can grow back... You have to constantly monitor the situation to make sure that there's no attempt to bring it back."
Michael Makovsky, CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), told Fox News Digital that one key goal of the meeting was to define red lines for future action.
"The war with Iran was ended a little abruptly by Trump," Makovsky said. "The Israelis wanted to continue it a couple more days, or at least until there was an understanding with the U.S. about what would trigger another response."
NETANYAHU AND TRUMP TO MEET IN DC AS GAZA’S FATE WITHOUT HAMAS IS DEBATED
According to a new JINSA memo titled Not Over, those triggers could include Iran rebuilding air defenses, diverting enriched uranium or importing advanced missile technology. "We’ve always viewed military action as a campaign, not a one-off," Makovsky said. "Unfortunately, short of regime collapse in Tehran, this is going to be part of a series."
Trump, however, emphasized his peacemaking ambitions. "I’m stopping wars," he said.
He said the Iran strike "turned out... to be obliterated," and praised the pilots involved: "They flew for 37 hours with zero problem mechanically. The biggest bombs we’ve ever dropped – non-nuclear. And we want to keep it non-nuclear, by the way."
Turning to Gaza, Trump said he believes a ceasefire deal may be reached soon. "They want that ceasefire," he said, in reference to Hamas. Netanyahu echoed that desire, but reiterated that "certain powers, like overall security, will always remain in our hands. No one in Israel will agree to anything else. We don’t commit suicide. We cherish life."
When asked whether his Palestinian relocation plan was still on the table, Trump initially deferred to Netanyahu, who responded by praising what he called "a brilliant vision."
"It’s called free choice," Netanyahu said. "If people want to stay, they can stay. But if they want to leave, they should be able to leave."
He added that Israel is working closely with the United States to find countries willing to help realize this approach. "We’re getting close to finding several countries," Netanyahu said. "And I think this will give, again, the freedom to choose. Palestinians should have it. And I hope that we can secure it."
Makovsky said Trump now sees Gaza and Iran as sequential "episodes." "He sees the war with Iran as a successful episode – it’s time to end that and pivot to peace," he said. "He wants to move toward expanding the Abraham Accords, particularly with Saudi Arabia."
The two leaders also touched on Syria. "I think there’s an opportunity to explore," Netanyahu said, referencing recent shifts after the collapse of the Assad regime. Makovsky said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa may be seeking "some sort of arrangement" with Israel to gain U.S. support. "He’s incredibly flexible and practical," Makovsky noted.
As Netanyahu put it, "This has already changed the face of the Middle East." Trump added, "We’re on the way to a lot of great results."
On Tuesday Netanyahu will meet with the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, R-La.