President Trump Discusses All Options Related to Iran with Netanyahu

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed all possible ways to curb Iran's nuclear program in their meeting, including diplomacy, economic pressure, and military force, a senior Israeli official said on Wednesday.

Netanyahu did not tell President Trump that Israel's current preference is further attacks on Iran, the official said in a briefing to reporters after the two leaders met at the White House on Tuesday.

"In the end, it is his decision," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said of President Trump, Al Arabiya reported from Reuters (30/7)

"The president has three options and they are all discussed at length," the official said, citing the options as "a deal (to be negotiated), continuing the blockade and economic pressure, and a massive attack."

Netanyahu also added new ideas that were not specifically mentioned into the discussion, the official added.

President Trump himself had expressed his displeasure with Netanyahu ahead of their meeting, complaining that details of the Israeli leader's plan to discuss new intelligence on Mount Pickaxe, a nuclear-linked underground facility that Trump has threatened to bomb, had emerged in public.

Dismissing suggestions of tension over the issue, the official said the two allies easily shared intelligence, denied Netanyahu had encouraged President Trump to escalate the military against Iran, and opened the possibility of a diplomatic solution.

At the same time, the Israeli official acknowledged that President Trump is a "senior partner" while Netanyahu is a "junior partner" in the allies' conflict with Iran.

The official said there were signs Iran's clerical rulers had been shaken by rising inflation and public frustration, but the impact on the global economy and oil markets was also a consideration.

Israel did not take part in the US bombing campaign over the past two weeks of this month that provoked Tehran to fire at US bases in retaliation. However, Israel has warned Tehran that it will respond harshly if attacked.

"Israel sees its greatest threat coming from Iran's nuclear program and wants to ensure that they will never get nuclear weapons," the official said. Tehran has long insisted that they are not looking for a bomb.