President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago on Monday and made clear that he would support another Israeli strike on Iran if Tehran continues advancing its missile or nuclear programs, reinforcing his administration’s hardline stance toward the Iranian regime.
Before beginning his sixth meeting with Netanyahu during this term, Trump fielded questions from reporters and was asked directly whether he would back Israel taking military action against Iran if the country presses ahead with its weapons programs. Trump responded without hesitation, drawing a distinction between missiles and nuclear capabilities while signaling urgency on both fronts.
“The missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” Trump said. “One would be yes, absolutely, the other was, we’ll do it immediately.”
The president also pointed to rising unrest inside Iran, saying the Iranian people are growing increasingly dissatisfied as their country struggles with runaway inflation, a collapsing economy, and brutal repression by the regime. Trump described a pattern of violence against protesters, portraying Iran’s leadership as ruthless in its response to dissent.
“Every time they have a rioter or someone forms a group, little or big, they start shooting people. You know, they kill people,” Trump said. “They’re vicious, vicious people.”
His remarks came as protests and strikes erupted across Tehran on Sunday and Monday following a historic collapse of Iran’s currency. According to the Associated Press, the rial plunged to 1.42 million to the dollar on Sunday, intensifying public anger and economic desperation.
Trump and Netanyahu’s previous meeting focused on the Trump-brokered 20-point plan for Gaza, an effort that resulted in the release of all living hostages held by Hamas and the return of the bodies of nearly all deceased hostages. The only exception was Ran Gvili.
Over the weekend, Gvili’s parents met with Netanyahu when he arrived in Florida. On Monday, they also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff. The family described the discussions as “very positive,” saying the advisers emphasized that returning Ran is a top priority for President Trump and that significant efforts are underway.
“We have one wonderful young man whose parents are right here now inside,” Trump said. “He’s the only one left, and we’re doing everything we can to get his body back.” Trump added that the parents expressed hope their son might still be alive, and he responded, “I love you to think that way.”
Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu also held talks with Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The visit followed Netanyahu’s announcement last week of a sweeping $108 billion plan to build an independent domestic arms industry. The decade-long investment comes amid bipartisan debate in the United States over continued foreign military aid to Israel and growing calls from some quarters to reevaluate American funding.
Netanyahu said the investment would expand Israel’s munitions production and other military capabilities to “reduce our dependence on all players, including friends.”
The United States currently provides Israel with roughly $3.3 billion annually in military assistance, which must be spent on American defense equipment, along with an additional $500 million each year for joint missile defense programs.
Israel is also preparing to deploy its highly cost-efficient Iron Beam laser defense system by the end of the month. Capable of shooting down missiles, mortar rounds, and drones, each interception is estimated to cost as little as $2 — a dramatic contrast to Iron Dome interceptor missiles, which can cost between $100,000 and $1 million. The Iron Beam technology, developed with Israel’s Rafael Defense Industries and U.S.-based Lockheed Martin, is reportedly being shared with the U.S. Army’s directed energy program.
Trump’s comments and Netanyahu’s visit underscored the close strategic alignment between the United States and Israel, with both leaders signaling readiness to confront Iran while advancing military cooperation and pressing ahead with efforts to resolve the hostage crisis.
[READ MORE: Illinois Hit With New Corruption Scandal as Hundreds of State Workers Caught in PPP Loan Abuse]
