In Trump Era, Israel Sees Opportunity to Shift Iran Approach
- Netanyahu aides say he may meet Trump in first half of 2017
- Israeli leader is unlikely to call for deal to be scrapped
A yellow taxi cab passes a public monument showing the face of Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic republic of Iran, in Tehran, on Aug. 31, 2015.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to win from Donald Trump what he failed to wring from Barack Obama: a harder line against Iran.
Aides to Netanyahu say the two men plan to meet in the first half of next year, probably by March, and the Israeli leader is already huddling with national security advisers to formulate a strategy. While the goal may stop short of killing the multilateral nuclear deal, Netanyahu is expected to tell Trump that the U.S. needs to take a harder line against Iran’s military program and lead a more concerted global effort to keep the Islamic Republic’s regional aspirations in check, a senior Israeli official said.