U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday to intensify economic pressure on Iran, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. This move could alter Iran's calculations and compel it to make further concessions regarding its nuclear program.

Officials stated that the "maximum pressure" campaign will proceed in parallel with nuclear negotiations, while the U.S. continues to bolster its military presence in the Middle East, preparing for potential military action should diplomatic efforts fail.

A recent executive order signed by President Trump about ten days ago will serve as the legal basis for increasing economic pressure on Iran. The order authorizes the U.S. Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce to recommend that the President impose tariffs of up to 25% on any country engaging in economic transactions with Iran.

Although Iran is a major oil producer, market concerns are heightened over the possibility that Iran might disrupt oil shipments from other nations, potentially causing regional supply shortages.

U.S. officials indicated that Trump and Netanyahu agreed on the ultimate objective—to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. However, differences remain regarding the approach. One official noted that Netanyahu expressed to Trump that reaching a satisfactory agreement with Iran is impossible, asserting that even if a deal were signed, Iran would not comply.

In contrast, Trump told Netanyahu that he believes a deal with Iran is still possible, suggesting, "Let's see if it works; we'll try."

Recently, Trump consulted his advisors Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the likelihood of reaching an agreement with Iran. An official mentioned that Witkoff and Kushner informed the President that historical precedents suggest securing a credible deal with Iran is extremely difficult, if not entirely impossible. However, they also noted that Iran's statements so far have been relatively reasonable.

Kushner and Witkoff assured Trump that they would continue negotiations while maintaining a firm stance. If Iran agrees to terms they consider acceptable, they will present the proposal to the President for a final decision.

A second round of talks between Witkoff, Kushner, and Iranian representatives is scheduled to take place in Geneva on Tuesday. Earlier this week, Witkoff conveyed a message to Iran through the Omani Foreign Minister, and the U.S. expects a response during the Geneva discussions.

One U.S. official commented, "We maintain a clear-eyed and realistic approach toward Iran. The ball is in their court now. We will not accept anything less than a genuinely binding agreement." Another official expressed that the probability of Iran accepting any U.S. proposal, or the U.S. accepting an Iranian proposal, is "zero."

An Iranian journalist posted on social media platform X that Witkoff's message included a U.S. proposal for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for three to five years, after which very low-level enrichment might be permitted. The reported proposal also required Iran to transfer its current stockpile of 450 kilograms of highly enriched uranium out of the country for disposal. The journalist claimed Iran had rejected this proposal, but a U.S. official denied that such an offer was ever made to Iran.