President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will begin direct talks with Iran on its nuclear programme, warning that Tehran would face "great danger" if the discussions fail.
Trump made the remarks during his Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first world leader to visit the US President since he imposed tariffs on countries worldwide.
"We’re having direct talks with Iran and they’ve started, it will go on Saturday, we have a very big meeting and we’ll see what can happen," Trump told reporters.
"I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious, and the obvious is not something I want to be involved with or, frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with," he added.
Trump did not disclose the venue for the meetings to begin on Saturday or say who from his administration would participate.
During their meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu also vowed to eliminate Israel’s trade deficit with the US after his country was hit with 17% tariffs last week.
"We intend to do it very quickly, we think it’s the right thing to do and we’re going to also eliminate trade barriers, a variety of trade barriers that have been put up unnecessarily," Netanyahu proclaimed in the Oval Office.
He went on to say that Israel could serve as a model for other countries who "ought to do the same".
However, it became clear that this may not be enough to persuade Trump to reconsider, as he responded "maybe not" when asked whether he would reduce the tariffs on Israeli goods.
Referring to the billions in aid that the US offers every year, Trump added: "Don’t forget, we help Israel a lot."
The two leaders also confirmed they had discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages from Gaza, expressing hopes for the success of another deal aimed at freeing more hostages.
Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasised Israel's commitment to releasing all hostages and eliminating Hamas from Gaza.
He also mentioned discussing President Trump’s plan to relocate displaced Palestinians from Gaza while it undergoes redevelopment, calling the initiative a "bold" vision.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Israelis protested against Netanyahu and his government in Tel Aviv on Monday, following their moves to oust top security and legal officials, and to resume war in Gaza.
"We're here today to send a very clear message," said one protester Menashe Yehezkel-Baum, "stop destroying our very basic and essential institute like the Supreme Court, the army, the security services, the police."
Families of hostages along with some of those recently freed from Gaza and their supporters have urged Trump to help ensure the fighting ends.
