President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Dec. 29, saying he preferred to avoid further bombing of Iran.

The United States ended about two weeks of air strikes against Iran after hostilities resumed when negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz collapsed. Iran then halted retaliatory attacks on Gulf states. Brent crude fell below $84 a barrel, down from more than $100 earlier in the week.

Trump told Fox News he held a strong position and threatened to strike Iran’s major bridges if no agreement is reached, but added he would like to avoid military action. Netanyahu said in a video posted on Instagram that his conversation with Trump was cooperative and that both leaders shared the goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Netanyahu was in Washington for the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Iran hawk, and his presence highlighted existing tensions between the two leaders over the war.

Israeli officials view a potential Iranian nuclear capability as an existential threat. Trump has said he will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons but is willing to postpone direct talks, focusing instead on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lowering oil prices. Israeli officials also expressed concern about a possible U.S. sale of F‑35 fighter jets to Turkey, which they fear could fuel a regional arms race, though a senior Israeli official said the issue was not raised in the meeting.

The meeting did not include pressure on Netanyahu to accelerate operations in Gaza or to withdraw troops from Lebanon, according to Israeli officials. Negotiators from Iran and Oman are working to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a step that could restart formal talks on Iran’s nuclear program and end the conflict. An Iranian official told state television that Tehran is not satisfied with Oman’s proposal for shared control of the strait.

Lower oil prices have reduced gasoline costs, potentially easing political pressure on Trump ahead of the November midterm elections. Despite the pause in attacks, regional tensions remain high, with few vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz with transponders activated, and Iran continuing to threaten vessels that do not have its permission. The United States has reinstated a naval blockade to prevent ships from docking in Iranian ports.

The outcome of the meeting and the forthcoming Oman‑Iran agreement remain unresolved, leaving the path to a diplomatic solution uncertain.